From Middle French contentieux Latin contentiōsus ( “ quarrelsome, perverse ” ) , from contentiō ( “ contention ” ) , from contendere contentus ( “ to contend ” ) . Equivalent to English contention -ous
contentious (comparative more contentious , superlative most contentious )
Marked by heated arguments or controversy .
2012 June 19, Phil McNulty, “England 1-0 Ukraine”, in BBC Sport [1] Ukraine, however, will complain long and hard about a contentious second-half incident when Marko Devic 's shot clearly crossed the line before it was scrambled away by John Terry , only for the officials to remain unmoved.
Given to struggling with others out of jealousy or discord .
2020 Susanna Clarke , Piranesi 212 :She was not a contentious person as the Other had been; she did not argue and contradict everything I said.
marked by controversy
Bulgarian: спорен (bg) ( sporen )
Catalan: controvertit contenciós
Chinese:
Mandarin: 有爭議 ／ 有争议 ( yǒuzhēngyì )
Czech: sporný (cs) m
Dutch: omstreden (nl) , aangevochten (nl) , controversieel (nl)
Finnish: kiistanalainen (fi)
French: controversé (fr)
Georgian: სადავო ( sadavo ) , საკამათო ( saḳamato )
German: umstritten (de) , strittig (de) , kontrovers (de)
Hungarian: vitás (hu) , vitatott (hu)
Irish: conspóideach
Italian: controverso (it)
Maori: kūraruraru ahitere whakawehewehe
Norwegian: omstridt / kontroversiell
Polish: sporny (pl) m kontrowersyjny (pl)
Portuguese: controverso (pt) m
Russian: дискуссионный (ru) ( diskussionnyj ) , спо́рный (ru) ( spórnyj )
Spanish: controvertido (es) , polémico (es)
Swedish: omstridd (sv) , omtvistad (sv)
Turkish: tartışmalı (tr) , mücâdeleci çekişmeli (tr) , kavgacı (tr)
Ukrainian: спі́рний m ( spírnyj ) , дискусі́йний m ( dyskusíjnyj )
Welsh: dadleuol (cy)
given to struggling
Bulgarian: свадлив (bg) ( svadliv )
Catalan: contenciós
Dutch: agressief (nl) , strijdlustig (nl) , vechtjas (nl) , provocateur (nl) , ruziemaker (nl)
Finnish: riitaisa (fi) , riidanhaluinen (fi)
French: belliqueux (fr) , agressif (fr) , provocateur (fr) , combatif (fr) , batailleur (fr) , bagarreur (fr) , chamailleur (fr) , querelleur (fr)
German: streitsüchtig (de) , streitbar (de) , zänkisch (de) , provokativ (de) , streitlustig
Greek:
Ancient: φιλόνεικος ( philóneikos )
Hungarian: veszekedő (hu) , pörlekedő
Italian: bellicoso (it) , aggressivo (it) , provocatore (it)
Latin: contentiōsus
Polish: kłótliwy (pl) , swarliwy
Portuguese: conflituoso (pt) m
Russian: вздорный (ru) ( vzdornyj ) , придирчивый (ru) ( pridirčivyj ) , любящий спо́рить ( ljubjaščij spóritʹ )
Spanish: conflictivo (es) , pendenciero (es) , camorrista (es) , belicoso (es) , provocador (es)
Swedish: bråkig (sv)
Ukrainian: зади́рливий m ( zadýrlyvyj ) , приче́пливий m ( pryčéplyvyj )
“contentious ”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary G. & C. Merriam , 1913 , →OCLC “contentious ”, in The Century Dictionary [ … ] The Century Co. , 1911 , →OCLC 
