to polemize
- verb
- /ˈpɒlɪmaɪz/
- Formal
- She tends to polemize on social media, often stirring heated arguments.
Examples
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Many scholars polemize about the interpretation of classical texts.
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Historians frequently polemize over the interpretation of key historical events.
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The two professors continued to polemize about the origins of the theory at every conference.
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Did you see how they polemized in the debate last night?
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During the seminar, the professor decided to polemize against the prevailing theories in modern science.
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The journalist had a tendency to polemize in her articles, often provoking strong reactions from her readers.
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In his latest book, the author chose to polemize about contemporary social issues, sparking nationwide debate.
Synonyms
To speak angrily with someone because you disagree
To discuss and argue about a topic in a formal way
Talk angrily to someone because of a disagreement
To argue in a friendly, quick way without serious anger
Argue strongly with someone, often in public
Argue strongly about politics or ideas
To argue angrily, often for a long time or in public
Antonyms
How Argumentative
- Formal
- Formal
Surface Forms
Morphology
polemize = polemic (transparent) = polem + ize
The verb is formed by adding the productive English verb-forming suffix '-ize' to the stem related to 'polemic', so its meaning ('to engage in polemics') is directly predictable from the base.
Etymology
Polemize comes from the Greek root polemos, meaning 'war', and is related to the word polemic. So to polemize is to 'wage war' with words — to argue strongly or attack ideas in speech or writing.