Controversial
Controversial adjective - Relating to or causing the expression of opposing opinions.
Usage example: racial segregation was a controversial topic in the 1960s
Contentious is a synonym for controversial in disputed topic. In some cases you can use "Contentious" instead the word "Controversial" as an adjective or a noun, when it comes to topics like debatable, disputable, at issue. popular alternative
Contentious
Contentious adjective - Given to arguing.
Usage example: a tiresomely contentious person who likes to argue for the sake of arguing
Controversial is a synonym for contentious in debatable topic. You can use "Controversial" instead the word "Contentious" as an adjective or a noun, if it concerns topics such as disputable. popular alternative
Nearby Word: contention
Mutual synonyms
Related pairs
- questionable and controversial
- questionable and contentious
- touchy and controversial
- touchy and contentious
- uncertain and controversial
- uncertain and contentious
- quarrelsome and controversial
- quarrelsome and contentious
- disputed and controversial
- disputed and contentious
- captious and controversial
- captious and contentious
- arguable and controversial
- arguable and contentious
Cite this Source
Contentious and Controversial. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/controversial/contentious
Controversial & Contentious. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/controversial/contentious>.
Contentious or Controversial. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/controversial/contentious.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "controversial" and "contentious" have occurred on timeline