polemic

English

Alternative forms

• polemick (obsolete)

Etymology

From French polémique, from Ancient Greek πολεμικός (polemikós, “of war”), from πόλεμος (pólemos, “war”)

Pronunciation

• IPA: /pʌˈlɛmɪk/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛmɪk

Noun

polemic (plural polemics)

1. A person who writes in support of one opinion, doctrine, or system, in opposition to another; one skilled in polemics; a controversialist; a disputant.
2. An argument or controversy.
3. ​ A strong verbal or written attack on someone or something.

Synonyms

• (person): controversialist, disputant
• (strong verbal or written attack): harangue, screed, rant, tirade

Derived terms

• polemical

Translations

argument or controversy

• Afrikaans: polemiek (af)
• Belarusian: палеміка (be) (paljémika) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 論戰 (cmn), 论战 (cmn) (lùnzhàn)

• Czech: polemika (cs) f
• Danish: polemik (da) c
• Finnish: polemiikki (fi)
• French: polémique (fr) f
• German: Polemik (de) f

• Icelandic: (book or pamphlet of polemic) deilurit (is) n
• Italian: polemica (it) f
• Macedonian: полемика (mk) (polémika) f
• Polish: polemika (pl) f
• Russian: полемика (ru) (polémika) f
• Spanish: polémica (es) f
• Swedish: polemik (sv)
• Turkish: polemik (tr)
• Ukrainian: полеміка (uk) (polémika) f

Adjective

polemic (comparative more polemic, superlative most polemic)

1. Having the characteristics of a polemic.

Synonyms

• polemical

Translations

having the characteristics of a polemic

• Esperanto: polemika (eo)
• Finnish: poleeminen (fi)
• French: polémique (fr) m and f
• German: polemisch (de)

• Italian: polemico (it)
• Portuguese: polémico (pt) polêmico (pt) (Brasil)
• Spanish: polémico (es)
• Swedish: polemisk (sv)

External links

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

Anagrams

• compile