Meaning & use
controversial
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivecomparable
Causing strong disagreement or argument among many people.
Grammar: Can come before a noun or after a linking verb: a controversial law, the law is controversial.
Patterns
- highly controversial
- controversial among someone
The mayor's plan to close the old bridge was deeply controversial.
Comedians sometimes make controversial jokes that divide the audience.
It is controversial whether schools should ban phones entirely.
Word forms
| comparative | more controversial |
|---|---|
| superlative | most controversial |
Common combinations
- highly controversial
- The highly controversial film sparked protests.
- controversial decision
- The referee's controversial decision angered fans.
- controversial figure
- He remains a controversial figure in politics.
- controversial topic
- Religion can be a controversial topic at dinner.
- remain controversial
- The treaty remains controversial.
Synonyms and how they differ
- contentious
- Contentious is more formal and stresses an issue prone to heated argument, while controversial simply says people disagree.
- disputed
- Disputed means the facts or ownership are challenged, whereas controversial concerns opinions or morality.
- divisive
- Divisive stresses that something splits people into opposing camps, a stronger effect than merely controversial.
- debatable
- Debatable is milder and means open to argument without strong public feelings.
Opposites
Word family
- controversy noun
- a public disagreement
- controversially adverb
- in a way that causes disagreement
- uncontroversial adjective
- unlikely to cause disagreement
- controvert verb
- to argue against or dispute (formal)
Commonly confused: controversial or contradictory?
controversial vs contradictory
Contradictory means two things cannot both be true, while controversial means people argue about it.
Practice
The new tax was ___, with half the town for it and half against.
Choose one answer.
Controversial fits a situation of strong public disagreement. Prudent would describe a sensible choice and does not mention division.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “controversial”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.