Origin: Latin suffix -al
Controversial has 2 different meanings across 1 category:
marked by or capable of arousing controversy
"the issue of the death penalty is highly controversial"
"Rushdie's controversial book"
"a controversial decision on affirmative action"
Arousing controversy—a debate or discussion of opposing opinions.
"The new policy sparked a controversial debate among community members regarding its fairness and implementation."
In plain English: Something controversial causes strong disagreement and heated arguments among people about whether it is right or wrong.
"The new policy became controversial because many people disagreed with how it was implemented."
Usage: Use this adjective to describe people, ideas, or actions that provoke strong disagreement from different sides rather than simply being unpopular. It implies an active debate exists where reasonable arguments can be made for both the supporting and opposing views.
The word comes from the Latin contrōversiālis, which was formed by adding a suffix to contrōversia. It entered English through French in the late 14th century with its original sense of "in dispute."