contentious

Language: en

🇺🇸 /kəˈntɛnʃəs/

📖 Definitions

  1. adjective
    Causing or likely to cause disagreement, argument, or controversy among people.; Inclined to argue or quarrel; quarrelsome or combative in disposition.; Relating to or involving legal dispute or litigation, as opposed to non-contentious matters.

🔗 Details

Word forms

Comparative: more contentious Superlative: most contentious

Collocations

contentious issuecontentious debatecontentious matterhighly contentiouscontentious topiccontentious point

Derivatives

contentioncontentiouslycontentiousnesscontendcontent

Synonyms

controversialdisputabledebatabledivisivepolemicalvexed

Antonyms

uncontroversialundisputeduncontested

Commonly confused

content
EN: 'Content' as an adjective means satisfied or at ease; 'contentious' means likely to cause disagreement.
contemptuous
EN: 'Contemptuous' means showing scorn or disdain; 'contentious' means causing or inclined to argue.

Spelling tips

EN: Note the '-tious' ending (not '-tuous'). Don't confuse with 'contemptuous' which has a different root and meaning.

💬 Examples

  1. Immigration policy remains one of the most contentious issues in modern politics.

  2. His contentious nature made it difficult for him to maintain friendships.

  3. The firm handles both contentious and non-contentious probate work.