Confrontational means ready to challenge people openly and aggressively. A confrontational style, less confrontational, confrontational questioning.
It is nearly always a criticism, and calling somebody confrontational is a way of objecting to the manner rather than the point. In negotiation it names an approach that treats the other side as an opponent rather than a partner.
1adjectiveconfrontationalReady to challenge people openly and aggressively.
“His confrontational manner made every meeting turn into an argument.”
confrontational is a quality.
From confrontation + -al.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA