Polemicised

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. A fervent exchange of opposing viewpoints typically features sharp criticism and a strong personal perspective reflected in the discussion
2. Engaging in a passionate and contentious dialogue often results in significant division and intense personal opinions among participants
3. A vigorous argument or debate often involves sharp criticisms, strong opinions, and a focus on opposing viewpoints that create division among the participants

Etymology: "Polemicised" is the past tense and past participle of "polemicise," a verb built from "polemic" plus the suffix "-ise." The base noun "polemic" comes from Greek "polemikos," meaning "warlike" or "hostile," which in turn derives from "polemos," war. The Greek root carries the sense of armed conflict, so a polemic was originally a battle of words standing in for a battle of weapons. The suffix "-ise" is the British spelling of "-ize," a common way of turning nouns and adjectives into verbs, as in "modernise" or "organise." Adding it to "polemic" produces a verb meaning to engage in or carry on a polemic, that is, to argue fiercely against an opponent. The word is an ordinary formation from existing parts, so its interest lies mostly in the ancient military metaphor hidden inside its first syllables.

Synonyms: debated, argued, contested, disputed, challenged

Antonyms: agreed, conceded, acquiesced, accepted, compromised