contention

American  

[kuhn-ten-shuhn] / kənˈtɛn ʃən /

noun

contentions plural

1. a struggling together in opposition; strife.

   Synonyms:

   combat, conflict

2. a striving in rivalry; competition; contest.

3. strife in debate; dispute; controversy.

   Synonyms:

   altercation, debate, dissension, disagreement

   Antonyms:

   agreement

4. a point contended for or affirmed in controversy.

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contention British  

/ kənˈtɛnʃən /

noun

1. a struggling between opponents; competition

2. dispute in an argument (esp in the phrase bone of contention )

3. a point asserted in argument

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contention Idioms  

1. see bone of contention.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• noncontention
  noun
• precontention
  noun
• contentional
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• contentions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of contention

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin contentiōn-, stem of contentiō; from content(us) “competed, striven” (past participle of contendere “to compete, strive, draw tight”; see contend) + -iō -ion

Explanation

There is nothing "content," or satisfying, about being in contention, and that's probably because the word contention means being in a competition that only one side can win. "And in this corner, the contender" is heard at most boxing matches to describe each of the fighters about to go into contention in the ring. Sometimes, though, a contention can be a battle of words or a struggle between two parties over a single point. The expression "bone of contention" describes a narrow object of disagreement that reaches the level of strife, or contention. For two hungry dogs, though, the bone of contention might be a serious matter.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

contention contentions

The fate of theatrical releases for Hollywood movies has been a major source of contention for the industry.

From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026

When Alonso was appointed, Chelsea were still in contention to qualify for Europe but fell short with a final-day defeat by Sunderland.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

Setting aside the foolish contention that one’s personal actions have no bearing on one’s capacity for political leadership, people who treat women like garbage are not the only ones with good politics.

From Slate ● Jul. 8, 2026

Holly Williams, a foreign correspondent working out of Istanbul for CBS News since 2012, and Mariana van Zeller, a journalist for National Geographic Channel, are both said to remain in contention.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

It is the contention of the State and it is also the law of the land.

From "Monster" by Walter Dean Myers

Fiedler’s new preface proudly noted that the original’s once outrageous contentions were now widely accepted.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026

Indyke's lawyer, Daniel Weiner, said: "Mr Indyke and Mr Kahn deny all those contentions, including any allegations of fault, liability, wrongdoing or damages of any kind."

From BBC ● Mar. 10, 2026

American did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the union’s contentions.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 28, 2026

The Ohio Supreme Court disagreed with both contentions.

From Slate ● Sep. 10, 2024

Bram Fischer spoke next and was prepared to tackle the state’s two most serious contentions: that we had undertaken guerrilla warfare and that the ANC and MK were the same.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Related Words

• allegation
• assertion
• belief
• claim
• discussion
• explanation
• hypothesis
• idea
• opinion
• plea
• position
• thesis