Word a Day
contentious
What does contentious mean?
contentious (adjective): involving or likely to cause controversy.
Definition: Princeton WordNet 3.1.
How do you use contentious in a sentence?
- A central and contentious element of the book. (Princeton WordNet 3.1)
How do you pronounce contentious?
/kənˈtɛnʃəs/ (IPA, American English). The app reads every word aloud.
Where does contentious come from?
From Middle French contentieux, from Latin contentiōsus (“quarrelsome, perverse”).
Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Words related to contentious
From Princeton WordNet 3.1.
Test yourself: do you know “contentious”?
Tap an answer to check it. The same questions the app asks.
What does “contentious” mean?
grand, elegant or splendid in appearance
Not quite: that's what magnificent means.
offensive or even (of persons) malicious
Not quite: that's what nasty means.
involving or likely to cause controversy
Right! That's what “contentious” means.
soft and mild rather than hard or severe
Not quite: that's what gentle means.
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