Well-read · Arguing & persuading · Books & writing
Polemic: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Polemic noun. A strongly worded attack on someone's opinions or on a cause.
How to say it
puh-LEM-ik/pəˈlɛmɪk/
3 syllables, stressed on the second (LEM).
Polemic in a sentence
Her book is less a history than a polemic against the motor car.
The column was pure polemic, with not a single fact to slow it down.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- diatribe
- tirade
- broadside
- invective
Where polemic comes from
From Greek polemikos, warlike, from polemos, war.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
The column was pure _____, with not a single fact to slow it down.
- polemic
- sophistry
- blandishment
Show the answer
polemic: The column was pure polemic, with not a single fact to slow it down.