A contentious issue causes a lot of disagreement or arguments.
[formal]
Sanctions are expected to be among the most contentious issues.
...a country where land prices are politically contentious.
contentiouslygraded adverb
This time he was contentiously omitted from the team.
2. graded adjective
A contentious person seems to like arguing and disagreeing with other people.
[formal]
Rodney was a cheerful, elegant and gregarious if rather contentious man.
Synonyms: argumentative, wrangling, perverse, bickering More Synonyms of contentious
contentious in British English
(kənˈtɛnʃəs)
adjective
1.
tending to argue or quarrel
2.
causing or characterized by dispute; controversial
3. law
relating to a cause or legal business that is contested, esp a probate matter
Derived forms
contentiously (conˈtentiously)
adverb
contentiousness (conˈtentiousness)
noun
contentious in American English
(kənˈtɛnʃəs)
adjective
1.
always ready to argue; quarrelsome
2.
of or marked by contention
3.
provoking or likely to provoke controversy
a contentious proposal
SIMILAR WORDS: belˈligerent
Derived forms
contentiously (conˈtentiously)
adverb
contentiousness (conˈtentiousness)
noun
Word origin
ME contencios < L contentiosus: see contention
Examples of 'contentious' in a sentence
contentious
Central to this is that the choices you make in each of these areas are contentious.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
He meant the simple issue of mind over matter, but he was picking at one of the most contentious areas of sports science.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This quietly provocative documentary cuts right to the heart of America's most contentious issue.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This is the most contentious area of all.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The regulations have proved contentious with nurses who say many such relationships end in marriage.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
This new play is all about the contentious issue of legal aid.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
This latter issue in particular is likely to prove highly contentious.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
And that will be politically contentious too.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The issues are often contentious and experts expressing different opinions can equally sincerely hold valid views.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The most contentious area is likely to be nuclear power.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
But it was the proposals for a speed limit in the bay that proved the most contentious.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Relationships like these rarely survive a contentious legal action like this.
The Sun (2015)
The economic benefit that is claimed will come from this is highly contentious.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Subsequent attempts to address the issue proved contentious.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
One of the contentious areas is vehicles.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
It remains a highly contentious way of looking at the world.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
It was a worthy angle on a contentious issue.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
One area that remains contentious is that of auditing.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Public religious education has been an increasingly contentious topic in Britain.
Christianity Today (2000)
That leaves the contentious matter of change, which breeds such torrid objections.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Inevitably, the raising of contentious matters will cause conflict.
Aiken, Nick Working with Teenagers (1994)
The company's remuneration policy may prove contentious.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
He was always reluctant to put contentious matters to a vote, preferring to proceed by consensus.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
In both he proved an often contentious, always uncompromising individual.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The best that can be said is that transferring resources across regions is less difficult and politically contentious than doing so across national boundaries.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
He also says that in making these views heard, he is always careful to avoid issues which are politically contentious.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
A Wedding dress disasters often result in highly contentious legal cases.
The Sun (2015)
In other languages
contentious
British English: contentious ADJECTIVE
A contentious issue causes a lot of disagreement or arguments.
Sanctions are expected to be among the most contentious issues.
American English: contentious
Brazilian Portuguese: controvertido
Chinese: 引起争议的
European Spanish: discutible
French: controversé
German: strittig
Italian: controverso
Japanese: 議論を呼びそうな
Korean: 첨예한
European Portuguese: controverso
Latin American Spanish: discutible
(adjective)
Definition
tending to quarrel
He was a sociable if rather contentious man.
Synonyms
argumentative
You're in an argumentative mood today!
wrangling
perverse
bickering
combative
Lockhart was famed for his combative style and scathing wit.
pugnacious
He was in a pugnacious mood when he spoke to us.
quarrelsome
a quarrelsome young man
litigious
They are probably the most litigious people in the world.
querulous
cavilling
disputatious
factious
captious
Additional synonyms
in the sense of combative
Lockhart was famed for his combative style and scathing wit.
Synonyms
aggressive,
militant,
contentious,
belligerent,
antagonistic,
pugnacious,
warlike,
carnivorous (informal),
bellicose,
truculent,
quarrelsome,
aggers (Australian, slang)
in the sense of disputatious
Synonyms
argumentative,
contentious,
pugnacious,
polemical,
cantankerous,
quarrelsome,
litigious,
cavilling,
captious,
dissentious
in the sense of litigious
Definition
frequently going to law
They are probably the most litigious people in the world.