contentious

C2+ Topic:Cause, Change & Process

US /kənˈtɛnʃəs/ UK /kənˈtɛnʃəs/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
causing or likely to cause disagreement; argumentative

Tax reform remains a deeply contentious issue.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · causing or likely to cause... argumentative quarrelsome disputatious controversial combative litigious divisive

Opposites

agreeable peaceable amiable conciliatoryuncontroversial

Word family

Forms contentiousness

Derived forms contentiouslycontentiousness

Related forms contend contention contender

Etymology

From Old French contentieux, from Latin contentiosus ('quarrelsome'), from contentio ('a striving, dispute'), from contendere ('to strive, contend'), from con- (intensive) + tendere ('to stretch').

contentiosus Latin tendere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Cause, Change & Process Word Formation & Derivatives

# contentious

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** kənˈtɛnʃəs
**IPA (UK):** kənˈtɛnʃəs

## Meanings
1. causing or likely to cause disagreement; argumentative

## Examples
- Tax reform remains a deeply contentious issue.

## Synonyms
- argumentative
- quarrelsome
- disputatious
- controversial
- combative
- litigious
- divisive

## Antonyms
- agreeable
- peaceable
- amiable
- conciliatory
- uncontroversial

## Derived Forms
- contentiously
- contentiousness

## Related Forms
- contend
- contention
- contender

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: contentiosus
- Root: tendere

## Etymology
From Old French contentieux, from Latin contentiosus ('quarrelsome'), from contentio ('a striving, dispute'), from contendere ('to strive, contend'), from con- (intensive) + tendere ('to stretch').

## AI Etymology
Contentious is from Old French contentieux, from Latin contentiosus ('quarrelsome'), from contentio ('a striving, dispute'), from contendere ('to strive, contend'), from con- (intensive) + tendere ('to stretch'). Important recorded forms include contentiosus (Latin) and tendere (Latin). Morphologically, the word is a built form whose named elements carry part of the historical sense. The current sense covers causing or likely to cause disagreement; argumentative. The wider family includes derived forms such as contentiously and contentiousness and related words such as contend, contention, and contender.

## Topics
- Cause, Change & Process
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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