polemic
Other forms: polemics
A polemic is something that stirs up controversy by having a negative opinion, usually aimed at a particular group. A piece of writing can be a polemic, as long as it gets someone's goat.
Polemic comes from the Greek polemikos meaning "warlike, belligerent." It's like challenging someone to a duel of ideas. These days a polemic is usually a piece of writing, such as if the Grinch published a powerful polemic against Christmas. It's like a debate, and philosophers from Nietzsche to Voltaire are known for theirs. The British philosopher John Stuart Mill had this to say about it: "The worst offense that can be committed by a polemic is to stigmatize those who hold a contrary opinion as bad and immoral men."
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a controversy (especially over a belief or dogma)
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type of:
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arguing, argument, contention, contestation, controversy, disceptation, disputation, tilt
a contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement
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arguing, argument, contention, contestation, controversy, disceptation, disputation, tilt
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a writer who argues in opposition to others (especially in theology)
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synonyms:
polemicist, polemist
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of or involving dispute or controversy
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synonyms:
polemical
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controversial
marked by or capable of arousing controversy
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controversial
Vocabulary lists containing polemic
Soviet politician Mikhail Gorbachev was the Soviet Union's 8th and final leader from 1985 to the country's dissolution in 1991. He hoped to preserve the Soviet state and its ideals, while enacting significant reforms essential for survival. His domestic policies of glasnost and perestroika improved freedom of speech and decentralized economic decision-making. With U.S. President Ronald Reagan, Gorbachev worked to limit nuclear weapons and end the Cold War. For these reforms, and support for other political changes in Europe, Gorbachev received numerous awards, including the 1990 Nobel Peace Prize. Our tribute list —through quotes, articles, and biographical details — illustrates how Gorbachev is considered one of the most significant figures of the second half of the 20th century.
Biographer Frank Brady chronicles the meteoric rise and astounding fall of chess prodigy Bobby Fischer.
This nonfiction book presents research about the indigenous peoples of the Western Hemisphere before the arrival of Europeans in 1492, shedding new light on the knowledge that these groups had in the fields of science, engineering, medicine, agriculture, and more.
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