Word: contentious (adjective)

Associations

"Contentious" means causing or likely to cause disagreement or argument. It is often used to describe topics, issues, or people that create disputes or debates.

• The meeting became contentious when they started discussing politics. (Here, "contentious" shows the discussion caused arguments.)
• The contentious issue of climate change divides many people. (The issue causes disagreement.)
• She has a contentious personality, always ready to argue. (Describes a person who often causes arguments.) A similar word is "controversial." Both describe things that cause disagreement, but "contentious" often emphasizes the argument or conflict itself, while "controversial" focuses more on the public disagreement or debate.

Substitution

You can replace "contentious" with:

• controversial — focuses on public debate or disagreement.
• argumentative — describes a person who likes to argue.
• disputed — emphasizes that something is not agreed upon. Each word changes the meaning slightly. For example, "argumentative" usually describes a person, while "contentious" can describe people, topics, or situations.

Deconstruction

"Contentious" comes from the Latin word "contentiosus," which means "inclined to argue."

• Root: "content-" means "strive" or "fight."
• Suffix: "-ious" means "full of" or "having the quality of." So, "contentious" literally means "full of fighting or arguing."

Inquiry

• Can you think of a topic that is contentious in your country or community?
• Have you ever been in a contentious situation? How did you handle it?
• How is a contentious debate different from a friendly discussion?