adj
contentious
kuhn-TEHN-shuhs
adj
1
Likely to cause disagreement or heated argument.
"Immigration remains one of the most contentious issues in politics."
How to Use Contentious
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishDescribes a topic or situation that sparks arguments and strong disagreement.
Common pairings
contentious issue
contentious debate
Word Forms
more contentious comparative, most contentious superlative
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Immigration remains one of the most _____ issues in politics.
Etymology
From Middle French contentieux, from Latin contentiosus ("quarrelsome"), related to contentio ("contention").