polemic

What it means

1. A person who writes in support of one opinion, doctrine, or system, in opposition to another; one skilled in polemics; a controversialist; a disputant.

   Synonyms: controversialist, disputant, polemicist

2. An argument or controversy.
3. A strong verbal or written attack on someone or something.

   Synonyms: harangue, screed, rant, tirade, philippic

In a sentence

A fourth hindrance is by some held to be, that many of our polemic publications are too polemic. Some hold that we should urge the simple Gospel, and make no attack on Hinduism or Muhammadanism .

1893, Report of the Third Decennial Missionary Conference

Where it comes from

1. Ancient Greekπολεμικός“of war”
2. Frenchpolémique
3. Englishpolemic

From French polémique, from Ancient Greek πολεμικός (polemikós, “of war”), from πόλεμος (pólemos, “war”). By surface analysis, polem- + -ic.