Webster's English Dictionary

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polemic

po.lem.ic or po.lem.i.cal \p*-'lem-ik\ \-i-k*l\ \-k(*-)le-\ \-'lem-*-s*st\ 
   n [F pole`mique, fr. MF, fr. polemique controversial, fr. Gk pole]mikos 
   warlike, hostile, fr. polemos war; akin to OE ealfelo baleful, Gk pallein 
   to brandish 1a: an aggressive attack on or refutation of the opinions or 
   principles of  another 1b: the art or practice of disputation or 
   controversy - usu. used in pl.  but sing. or pl. in constr. 2: an 
   aggressive controversialist : DISPUTANT  pl but sing or pl in constr  3: 
   the branch of Christian theology devoted to the refutation of errors  - 
   polemic aj