Why do I need to know polémique?
Because this word seems to be more common as society becomes more polarised.
What does it mean?
Polémique – roughly pronounced poe-lay-meek – is a commonly used word in France, and it differs slightly from its English counterpart.
In English, a polemic would be a speech or a critical piece of writing expressing a controversial opinion or attacking a person or thing. You would usually hear it in academic or high-brow settings and sometimes in the media.
Whereas the French word polémique is commonly used in everyday settings and does not solely refer to speeches or writing.
You would use it in the same way you might use the English word ‘controversy’. It can describe a political situation, or any lively debate about a subject people disagree on.
For example, the phrase nouvelle polémique may be a stand-in for ‘the latest culture war’ or describing something as ‘un sujet polémique‘ means that something is a controversial topic.
Polémique in French can also be used as an adjective – a controversial writer might be referred to as an écrivain polémique.
However, when describing people, a person who continuously sparks controversy would more likely be called a polémiste, similar to a polemicist in English.
Use it like this
La politique est épuisante. Les polémiques se succèdent. – Politics are exhausting. It’s just one controversy after the other.
Le joueur de football est au centre d’une nouvelle polémique. – The football player is at the centre of another controversy.
Member comments