polemic
noun
po·lem·ic
| \ pə-ˈle-mik
\
\
Definition of polemic
1a
: an aggressive attack on or refutation of the opinions or principles of another
b
: the art or practice of disputation or controversy
—usually used in plural but singular or plural in construction
2
: an aggressive controversialist : disputant
Keep scrolling for more
Other Words from polemic
polemicist
\ pə-ˈle-mə-sist
\
noun
\
noun
Examples of polemic in a Sentence
Her book is a fierce polemic against the inequalities in our society.
They managed to discuss the issues without resorting to polemics.
Recent Examples on the Web
For Real though, where dropping even a hair behind Barcelona is a polemic and falling behind Atleti is unthinkable, a second consecutive third place finish would be a full-scale, stock-up-on-flashlights-and-petrol disaster. — SI.com, "Summer Disasterclass Opens Fissures Which Will See Zinedine Zidane Leave Real Madrid This Season," 30 July 2019 What could occasion such fierce polemics between supporters of each? — Ramesh Ponnuru, National Review, "The Right Liberalism," 11 July 2019 Marlantes hasn’t written an allegorical polemic about contemporary business — his primary concerns are the romantic fortunes of the siblings and the shifting fates of the workers. — Mark Athitakis, Washington Post, "‘Deep River’ bucks every literary trend, and that’s what makes it so charming," 8 July 2019 Marlantes hasn’t written an allegorical polemic about contemporary business — his primary concerns are the romantic fortunes of the siblings and the shifting fates of the workers. — Mark Athitakis, chicagotribune.com, "Karl Marlantes pens another spirited epic, this time about immigrants, logging and labor," 11 July 2019 Follow Hogarth in spiking your polemic with humour, however, and views might soften. — A.v. | New York, The Economist, "Why William Hogarth’s polemics were so successful," 25 June 2019 To some degree, Years and Years is another Davies polemic that is full of opinions about where the future is taking us. — Liz Shannon Miller, The Verge, "How Years and Years creator Russell T. Davies sees the future unfolding," 2 July 2019 Its tropes come loose from the commercial products or underground publications and appear in literature, journalism, public discourse—and feminist polemic. — Elaine Blair, The New York Review of Books, "Fighting for Her Life," 17 June 2019 This is a rare moment of insight in a remarkably confused polemic: Almost every human society was built upon brutal exploitation, and social justice consists of repairing those mistakes. — Sahil Handa, National Review, "Why I’m No Longer Talking to Anyone about Anything," 13 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'polemic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for polemic
polemic
noun
English Language Learners Definition of polemic
formal
: a strong written or spoken attack against someone else's opinions, beliefs, practices, etc.
: the art or practice of using language to defend or harshly criticize something or someone
See the full definition for polemic in the English Language Learners Dictionary
Keep scrolling for more