bone of contention

American  

noun

1. a subject, cause, or focal point of a dispute.

   The terms of the old man's will were a bone of contention to his survivors.

---

bone of contention British  

noun

1. the grounds or subject of a dispute

---

bone of contention Idioms  

1. Main issue of a disagreement; something to quarrel about. For example, Grandfather's will was a bone of contention for the whole family. This expression alludes to two dogs fighting (contending) over a single bone. In slightly different guise, bone of dissension, it was used figuratively in the 16th century and took its present form in the early 1700s.

---

Etymology

Origin of bone of contention

First recorded in 1705–15

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bone of contention

One bone of contention: proposed studio units that he and some other local business owners say their workers neither want nor need.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 26, 2026

The weakness has been a major bone of contention in trade relations with the U.S.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 9, 2026

In Sudan, another bone of contention between the Gulf states, Saudi Arabia and the United States handed a new ceasefire proposal to Sudan's army, a government source told AFP this week.

From Barron's ● Jan. 25, 2026

The murky value of Warner’s cable channel portfolio has become a bone of contention in the company’s sale.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 8, 2026

My suitcase was a bone of contention between Tessie and me.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides