Usage Note
Controvertido describes something that provokes disagreement or debate. It agrees in gender and number: un tema controvertido / una decisión controvertida. While polémico is a near-synonym and often more colloquial, controvertido is slightly more formal and closer to the English 'controversial'. Both are widely used in journalism.
Examples
"La ley fue muy controvertida."
Natural Translation
The law was very controversial.

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