contentious

WOTD – 6 March 2010    

English

Etymology

From Latin contentiōsus (“quarrelsome, perverse”), from contentiō (“contention”), from contendere, past participle contentus (“to contend”); see contend. Confer French contentieux, corresponding to content +‎ -ious

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA: /kənˈtɛn.tʃəs/

Adjective

contentious (comparative more contentious, superlative most contentious)

1. Marked by heated arguments or controversy.
   • 2012 June 19, Phil McNulty, “England 1-0 Ukraine”, BBC Sport:

     Ukraine, however, will complain long and hard about a contentious second-half incident when Marko Devic's shot clearly crossed the line before it was scrambled away by John Terry, only for the officials to remain unmoved.

2. Given to struggling with others out of jealousy or discord.

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:quarrelsome
• See also Wikisaurus:combative

Derived terms

• contentiously
• contentiousness

Related terms

• contend
• contender
• contention

Translations

marked by controversy

• Bulgarian: спорен (bg) (sporen)
• Catalan: controvertit (ca), contenciós (ca)
• Czech: sporný (cs) m
• Dutch: omstreden (nl),aangevochten (nl)
• Finnish: kiistanalainen (fi)
• French: controversé (fr)
• German: umstritten (de)
• Hungarian: vitás (hu), vitatott (hu)

• Italian: controverso (it)
• Maori: kūraruraru (mi)
• Norwegian: omstridt / kontroversiell
• Polish: sporny m
• Portuguese: controverso (pt) m
• Russian: дискуссионный (ru) (diskussionnyj), спорный (ru) (spornyj)
• Spanish: controvertido (es)
• Turkish: tartışmalı (tr), mücâdeleci (tr), çekişmeli (tr), kavgacı (tr)

given to struggling

• Bulgarian: свадлив (bg) (svadliv)
• Catalan: contenciós (ca)
• Dutch: agressief (nl),strijdlustig (nl), vechtjas (nl),provocateur (nl), ruziemaker (nl)
• Finnish: riitaisa (fi), riidanhaluinen (fi)
• French: belliqueux (fr), agressif (fr), provocateur (fr), combatif (fr), batailleur (fr), bagarreur (fr), chamailleur (fr), querelleur (fr)

• German: streitsüchtig (de)
• Hungarian: veszekedő (hu), pörlekedő (hu)
• Italian: bellicoso (it), aggressivo (it), provocatore (it)
• Portuguese: conflituoso m
• Russian: вздорный (ru) (vzdornyj), придирчивый (ru) (pridirčivyj), любящий спорить (ru) (ljubjaščij sporitʹ)
• Spanish: pendenciero (es), camorrista (es), belicoso (es), provocador (es)
• Swedish: bråkig (sv)

References

• contentious in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• contentious in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911