contention
Americannoun
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contentions
plural
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a struggling together in opposition; strife.
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a striving in rivalry; competition; contest.
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strife in debate; dispute; controversy.
- Synonyms:
- altercation, debate, dissension, disagreement
- Antonyms:
- agreement
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a point contended for or affirmed in controversy.
noun
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a struggling between opponents; competition
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dispute in an argument (esp in the phrase bone of contention )
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a point asserted in argument
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing contention
"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from all 4 Acts
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"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from Act 3
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Monster
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The judge later told them he "rejected the contention" that the teenagers had shown "anything resembling remorse".
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
Charter pushed back on that contention, saying it helped residents in the burn areas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
Hull has had an eventful week in which she defended herself following a prank she played on her caddie and finishing joint sixth in The Open after starting the final day in contention.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
The Sparks were supposed to be back in playoff contention this season after bringing in Ogwumike, Ariel Atkins and Erica Wheeler.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
It was still higher than Moch wanted to row, nearly a sprinting pace, but it was what he needed to stay in contention.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
Evidence for many of these contentions is scant or absent.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 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
America, it appeared, had once been the home of a truly substantial creature–one that would surely disprove Buffon’s foolish Gallic contentions.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
