tendentious
- Expressing or promoting a particular cause or point of view, especially one that is controversial or biased.
In a sentence
- The documentary was widely criticized for its tendentious portrayal of the election results.
- Her tendentious essay ignored any evidence that contradicted her thesis.
Usage note. Tendentious is formal and often carries a negative connotation; it implies deliberate slanting rather than innocent error, so use it when bias appears intentional.
Where it comes from
English tendentious · entered English 19th c.
From Medieval Latin 'tendentia,' meaning 'tendency' or 'inclination,' derived from Latin 'tendere,' meaning 'to stretch or aim toward.' The word entered English in the 19th century, likely modeled on German 'tendenziös,' used in debates about partisan writing.