Meaning & use
contentious
Last updated
UK/kənˈtenʃəs/
US/kənˈtenʃəs/
Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Likely to cause strong disagreement or argument.
Grammar: Describes issues: a contentious topic.
Patterns
- contentious issue
- contentious debate
Immigration is a contentious issue.
The vote followed a contentious debate.
The ruling was highly contentious.
adjectivecomparable
Tending to argue or quarrel.
Grammar: Describes people; rarer.
He was a contentious neighbor.
A contentious crowd gathered.
Word forms
| comparative | more contentious |
|---|---|
| superlative | most contentious |
Common combinations
- contentious issue
- A contentious issue.
- highly contentious
- Highly contentious.
- contentious debate
- A contentious debate.
- contentious relationship
- A contentious relationship.
Synonyms and how they differ
- controversial
- Most common equivalent.
- disputed
- Stresses being argued over.
- argumentative
- Describes people.
Opposites
Word family
- contention noun
- argument or a claim
- contend verb
- to claim; to compete
Commonly confused: contentious or content?
contentious vs content
Content (adj) means satisfied; contentious means argumentative.
Practice
Which topic is most contentious?
Choose one answer.
Contentious means causing arguments.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “contentious”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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