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.
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) Catalan: controvertit (ca), contenciós (ca) Czech: sporný (cs) m. Finnish: kiistanalainen (fi) French: controversé (fr) German: umstritten (de) Hungarian: vitás (hu), vitatott (hu)

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

given to struggling

Bulgarian: свадлив (bg) Catalan: contenciós (ca) 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), придирчивый (ru), любящий спорить (ru) 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