tendentious

[ ten-den-shuhs ]

adjective

1. having or showing a definite tendency, bias, or purpose:

   a tendentious novel.

tendentious

/ tɛnˈdɛnʃəs /

adjective

1. having or showing an intentional tendency or bias, esp a controversial one

Derived Forms

• tenˈdentiously, adverb
• tenˈdentiousness, noun

Other Words From

• ten·dentious·ly adverb
• ten·dentious·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of tendentious¹

1895–1900; < Medieval Latin tendenti ( a ) tendency + -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of tendentious¹

C20: from tendency

Example Sentences

Critics, again mostly Republicans, weighed in again with tendentious lectures on social media about the moral imperative of meeting one’s obligation to pay back a loan.

From Los Angeles Times

The words and phrases that the plaintiffs replaced with their own tendentious language are in italics.

From Los Angeles Times

The idea of shoving this tendentious religious tract down Americans’ throats would have been a nonstarter under Roe vs.

From Los Angeles Times

His history lessons were tendentious and highly selective, but his facts and dates were largely accurate.

From Salon

“Most history curricula in the past have been either tendentious in a liberal posture or just boring.”

From Washington Times

Related Words

• prejudicial