Controversial definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

If you describe something or someone as controversial, you mean that they are the subject of intense public argument, disagreement, or disapproval. EnglishDictionary Thesaurus WordLists Grammar EnglishEasyLearningGrammar GrammarPatterns EnglishUsage TeachingResources VideoGuides Conjugations Quiz Englishgrammar Englishcollocations Englishconfusables Englishidioms Englishusage Thematicwordlists English French German Italian Spanish Portuguese Hindi Chinese Korean Definitionof 'controversial'    WordFrequency Share× Credits× controversial (kɒntrəvɜːʳʃəl ) adjective Ifyoudescribesomethingorsomeoneascontroversial,youmeanthattheyarethesubjectofintensepublicargument,disagreement,ordisapproval. Immigrationisacontroversialissueinmanycountries. Whenitwasfirstsuggestedthatpassivesmokingwasharmful,theideawascontroversial andtheevidencethin. Thechangesareboundtobecontroversial. ...thecontroversial19thcenturypoliticianCharlesParnell. Synonyms:disputed,contended,contentious,atissue MoreSynonymsofcontroversial controversially adverb[oftADVERBwithverb]Morecontroversially,heclaimsthatthesehigherprofitscoverthecostoffinding freshtalent. DavidHirstwascontroversiallysentoffonhisEuropeandebutforSheffieldWednesday lastnight. COBUILDAdvancedEnglishDictionary.Copyright©HarperCollinsPublishers Video:pronunciationof controversial Youmayalsolike EnglishQuizConfusables Synonymsof'controversial' LanguageLover'sBlog FrenchTranslationof'controversial' Translateyourtext PronunciationPlaylists Wordoftheday:'OldFatherTime' HindiTranslationof'controversial' NEWfromCollins! EnglishGrammar CollinsApps WordFrequency controversialinAmericanEnglish (ˌkɑntrəˈvɜrʃəl ;ˌkɑntrəˈvɜrsiəl ) adjective1.  of,subjectto,orstirringupcontroversy;debatable 2. Rare likingtotakepartincontroversy;disputatious Webster’sNewWorldCollegeDictionary,4thEdition.Copyright©2010by HoughtonMifflinHarcourt.Allrightsreserved. Derivedformscontroversially(ˌcontroˈversially) adverb WordoriginLLcontroversialis WordFrequency controversialinAmericanEnglish (ˌkɑntrəˈvɜːrʃəl) adjective1. of,pertainingto,orcharacteristicofcontroversy;polemical acontroversialbook 2. subjecttocontroversy;debatable acontroversialdecision 3. giventocontroversy;disputatious Mostmaterial©2005,1997,1991byPenguinRandomHouseLLC.Modifiedentries©2019 byPenguinRandomHouseLLCandHarperCollinsPublishersLtd Derivedformscontroversialismnoun controversialistnoun controversiallyadverb Wordorigin[1575–85;‹LLcontrōversiālis,equiv.toLcontrōversi(a)controversy+-ālis-al1] Examplesof'controversial'inasentence controversial Theseexampleshavebeenautomaticallyselectedandmaycontainsensitivecontent.Readmore… Shehasalsogainedareputationforbeingfearlesswhenitcomestocontroversialsubjects.Times,SundayTimes(2010)Hertheorywashighlycontroversialbutshestucktountilitwonmainstreamacceptance.Times,SundayTimes(2011)Butsuchachangewillbehighlycontroversial.Times,SundayTimes(2012)Itwouldprovideaframeworkfortheresolutionofcontroversialissuesofpublicpolicy.Times,SundayTimes(2007)Andsoissuessurroundingmarriagehavebeenhighlycontroversialthroughtheages.Times,SundayTimes(2015)Howaboutdoingsomethingreallycontroversial-puttingthevictimsfirstforonce?TheSun(2008)Ifhehad,therewouldhavebeennoneedforthecontroversialplanputforwardlastweek.Times,SundayTimes(2008)AndTanwiselydroppedthecontroversialplanstochangetheclub'sname.TheSun(2013) COBUILDCollocations controversial  controversialdeal controversialdecision controversialepisode controversialfigure controversialfilm controversialissue controversiallegislation controversialmeasure controversialmove controversialopinion controversialplan controversialproject controversialproposal controversialremark controversialruling controversialstatement controversialsubject controversialtactic controversialtechnique controversialtheory controversialtreatment controversialview highlycontroversial hugelycontroversial politicallycontroversial potentiallycontroversial Showmore... Trendsof controversial Viewusagefor: AllYears Last10years Last50years Last100years Last300years Inotherlanguages controversial BritishEnglish:controversial /ˌkɒntrəˈvɜːʃəl/ADJECTIVESomeoneorsomethingthatiscontroversialcausesintensepublicargument,disagreement,ordisapproval....thecontroversialnewbook.AmericanEnglish:controversial /kɒntrəˈvɜrʃəl/Arabic:جَدَلِيّ BrazilianPortuguese:controverso Chinese:有争议的 Croatian:prijeporan Czech:kontroverzní Danish:kontroversiel Dutch:controversieel EuropeanSpanish:polémico Finnish:kiistanalainen French:polémique German:umstritten Greek:αμφιλεγόμενος Italian:controverso Japanese:論争の Korean:논쟁의 Norwegian:kontroversiell Polish:kontrowersyjny EuropeanPortuguese:controverso Romanian:controversatRussian:спорный LatinAmericanSpanish:polémico Swedish:kontroversiell Thai:ซึ่งก่อให้เกิดการโต้แย้ง Turkish:tartışmalı Ukrainian:скандальнийVietnamese:gâytranhcãi Translateyourtextforfree Browsealphabetically controversial controlment controls controverse controversial controversialaspect controversialbill controversialbook AllENGLISHwordsthatbeginwith'C' Relatedtermsof controversial controversialbill controversialbook controversialdeal controversialfilm controversialidea Viewmorerelatedwords Source DefinitionofcontroversialfromtheCollinsEnglishDictionary ReadabouttheteamofauthorsbehindCollinsDictionaries. NewfromCollins QuickwordchallengeQuizReviewQuestion:1 - Score:0/5 councillor or counsellor?Dragthecorrectanswerintothebox. counsellor councillorTheysoughtthehelpofamarriage .sun or son?Whichversioniscorrect?Thesunwashighinthesky.Thesonwashighinthesky.aid or aide?Whichversioniscorrect?Theyhavepledgedbillionsofdollarsinaid.Theyhavepledgedbillionsofdollarsinaide.bough or bow?Dragthecorrectanswerintothebox. bow boughIgaveatheatrical andwaved.stile or style?Whichversioniscorrect?Shehadnotlosthergraceandstile.Shehadnotlosthergraceandstyle.Yourscore:CheckSeetheanswerNextNextquizReview Dec30,2021 Wordoftheday OldFatherTime timepersonified SEEFULLDEFINITION SEEPREVIOUSWORDS Signupforournewsletter Getthelatestnewsandgainaccesstoexclusiveupdatesandoffers Signmeup LatestWordSubmissions volumetricvideo Dec22,2021 spaceweathering Dec22,2021 gatekeep Dec22,2021 screamo Dec22,2021 ViewMoreSubmit NewYear,FreshStart?TheVocabularyofWellbeing WiththeNewYearfastapproaching,CollinsDictionarylooksintowordsrelatingtowell-beingandself-care. Readmore ChristmasorYule:thelexiconoftheholidayseason CollinsDictionarylooksatChristmas/AdventandYulewords,theoriginofbothseasonaltraditionsandtheirlexicon. Readmore Omicron:Whatisit? InMay2021,theWorldHealthOrganisation(WHO)announcedthatCOVID-19variantswouldbelabelledusinglettersoftheGreekalphabet.Whyisthatanyway? Readmore CollinsEnglishDictionaryApps DownloadourEnglishDictionaryapps-availableforbothiOSandAndroid. Readmore CollinsDictionariesforSchools Ournewonlinedictionariesforschoolsprovideasafeandappropriateenvironmentforchildren.Andbestofallit'sadfree,sosignupnowandstartusingathomeorintheclassroom. Readmore Wordlists Wehavealmost200listsofwordsfromtopicsasvariedastypesofbutterflies,jackets,currencies,vegetablesandknots! Amazeyourfriendswithyournew-foundknowledge! Readmore JointheCollinscommunity Allthelatestwordynews,linguisticinsights,offersandcompetitionseverymonth. Readmore Scrabblescorefor'controversial':18 QuickwordchallengeQuizReviewQuestion:1 - Score:0/5 annualloss or sadloss?Whichversioniscorrect?Heisaveryannuallosstojournalismandthebookworld.Heisaverysadlosstojournalismandthebookworld.negativeview or oceanviews?Dragthecorrectanswerintothebox. oceanviews negativeviewThereisn'tapoolbutthe arewonderful.criminalactivity or economicactivity?Whichversioniscorrect?Thereisnoindicationthateitherofthemwasinvolvedincriminalactivity.Thereisnoindicationthateitherofthemwasinvolvedineconomicactivity.falteringeconomy or industrialeconomies?Dragthecorrectanswerintothebox. falteringeconomy industrialeconomiesSwiftchangecouldharmBritain'salready .civilaction or swiftaction?Dragthecorrectanswerintothebox. civilaction swiftactionYoucouldpursuea fordamagesagainsther.Yourscore:CheckSeetheanswerNextNextquizReview CreateanaccountandsignintoaccessthisFREEcontent Registernoworlogintoaccess LANGUAGE English EnglishDictionary Thesaurus WordLists Grammar EnglishEasyLearningGrammar GrammarPatterns EnglishUsage TeachingResources VideoGuides Conjugations Quiz Englishgrammar Englishcollocations Englishconfusables Englishidioms Englishusage Thematicwordlists French EnglishtoFrench FrenchtoEnglish Grammar Conjugations Quiz German EnglishtoGerman GermantoEnglish Grammar Conjugations Quiz Italian EnglishtoItalian ItaliantoEnglish Grammar Conjugations Quiz Spanish EnglishtoSpanish SpanishtoEnglish Grammar Conjugations Quiz Portuguese EnglishtoPortuguese PortuguesetoEnglish Conjugations Hindi EnglishtoHindi HinditoEnglish Chinese EnglishtoChinese ChinesetoEnglish Quiz Korean EnglishtoKorean KoreantoEnglish TRANSLATOR GAMES Quiz Englishgrammar Englishcollocations Englishconfusables Englishidioms Englishusage Thematicwordlists Frenchgrammar Germangrammar Italiangrammar MandarinChinesecharacters Spanishgrammar Scrabble ScrabbleHome Wordchecker Help Tools SCHOOLS HomeSchool PrimarySchool SecondarySchool BLOG RESOURCES Resources CollinsWordoftheDay PaulNobleMethod VideoPronunciations WordoftheYear