contentious
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The address issue has long been contentious in the woodsy town of 3,200 people on the Monterey Peninsula, where residents once threatened to secede from California if they were forced to number their homes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
While Johnson’s elasticity as a performer is a bit more contentious, I’ve always found her choices fascinating — oscillating between rom-coms, superhero films and arthouse horror with the bat of a mascara’d eye.
From Salon ● Oct. 9, 2026
Haass chaired all-party talks in Northern Ireland in 2013 aimed at resolving contentious issues, including parades.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
The clashing versions add another twist to protracted, and often contentious, talks between Washington and Seoul over last year’s trade pact.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
Given the charged relations between white societies and native peoples, inquiry into Indian culture and history is inevitably contentious.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
Vocabulary lists containing contentious
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 4
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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