controversial
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controversial
Describing a matter, topic, or statement that is disputed and leads to strong differences of opinion and public discussion.
Die Entscheidung der Regierung, die Steuern zu erhöhen, war sehr kontrovers.
The government's decision to raise taxes was very controversial.
The word comes from Latin: 'contra' means 'against' and 'versus' means 'turned'. A controversial topic is therefore one in which opinions are directed against each other.
Die Diskussion zeigte die kontroversen Standpunkte der Parteien.
The discussion showed the controversial positions of the parties.
'Kontrovers' (controversial) often describes abstract nouns. Typical combinations are 'ein kontroverses Thema' (a controversial topic), 'eine kontroverse Frage' (a controversial question), 'eine kontroverse Debatte' (a controversial debate), or 'eine kontroverse Entscheidung' (a controversial decision).
Der Bau der neuen Autobahn ist ein sehr kontroverses Thema in der Region.
The construction of the new highway is a very controversial topic in the region.
'Kontrovers' (controversial/controversially) can also be used as an adverb to describe how something happens. A common phrase is 'etwas wird kontrovers diskutiert' (something is controversially debated).
Das neue Gesetz wurde im Parlament kontrovers diskutiert.
The new law was controversially debated in parliament.
controversial
'umstritten' and 'kontrovers' mean very similar things: they refer to a topic, decision, or statement about which people have strongly different opinions. 'umstritten' sounds very general and fits many everyday situations. 'kontrovers' sounds a little more formal and is often used in public debates, politics, the media, or academia. Learners can easily confuse the words because both express disagreement and discussion. As a practical rule: in normal conversations, 'umstritten' is often more natural; for major or public debates, 'kontrovers' fits very well.
Nach der Rede wurde das Thema in der Zeitung sehr kontrovers diskutiert.
After the speech, the topic was discussed very controversially in the newspaper.
Die neue Regel im Büro ist umstritten, weil viele Mitarbeitende sie unpraktisch finden.
The new rule at the office is controversial because many employees find it impractical.