polemical

adjective

po·​lem·​i·​cal pə-ˈle-mi-kəl How to pronounce polemical (audio)
variants or less commonly polemic
1
: of, relating to, or being a polemic : controversial
2
: engaged in or addicted to polemics : disputatious
polemically adverb

Examples of polemical in a Sentence

during the Middle Ages even theologians could be surprisingly polemical in their writings an unnecessarily polemical look at the supposed incompatibility between science and religion
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
When pluralism implies of ideas, of ideologies, of parties, sometimes inimical to each other, sometimes polemical, sometimes in the attempt to make compromises in order to rule a country. Foreign Affairs, 2 Nov. 2016 The motion picture industry first moved aggressively into polemical territory during the prewar interregnum from 1939 to 1941, when Europe was at war but America wasn’t. Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Aug. 2024 After all, novels that exaggerate our social and political ills in some horrific future are the most polemical works of fiction. Ron Charles, Washington Post, 16 July 2024 Blowups at literary journals are not the most pressing news of the day, but the incident at Guernica reveals the extent to which elite American literary outlets may now be beholden to the narrowest polemical and moralistic approaches to literature. Phil Klay, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for polemical 

Word History

First Known Use

1615, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of polemical was in 1615

Dictionary Entries Near polemical

Cite this Entry

“Polemical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polemical. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

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