controversial

adjective
UK: /ˌkɒn.trəˈvɜː.ʃəl/
US: /ˌkɑːn.trəˈvɜːr.ʃəl/

  1. Causing disagreement or discussion.

    1. The book was very controversial.
    2. Abortion is a very controversial topic in many countries around the world.

  2. Relating to a subject about which there is strong disagreement and argument.

    1. That's a controversial decision.
    2. The politician made a controversial statement about immigration reform last night.

Synonyms

arguable contentious debatable

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "controversial" in English means: Causing disagreement or discussion., Relating to a subject about which there is strong disagreement and argument..

The phonetic transcription of "controversial" is /ˌkɒn.trəˈvɜː.ʃəl/ in British English and /ˌkɑːn.trəˈvɜːr.ʃəl/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "controversial": arguable, contentious, debatable.

Example usage of "controversial": "The book was very controversial.". More examples on the page.