contend
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
verb
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to struggle in rivalry, battle, etc; vie
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to argue earnestly; debate
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(tr; may take a clause as object) to assert or maintain
Synonym Usage
See compete.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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contendernoun
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precontendverb (used without object)
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recontendverb (used without object)
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noncontendingadjective
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uncontendedadjective
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uncontendingadjective
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contendinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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contendsimple
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contendssimple
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have contendedperfect
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has contendedperfect
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am contendingprogressive
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are contendingprogressive
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is contendingprogressive
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have been contendingperfect progressive
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has been contendingperfect progressive
Past
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contendedsimple
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had contendedperfect
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was contendingprogressive
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were contendingprogressive
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had been contendingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of contend
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English contenden, from Anglo-French contendre, from Latin contendere “to compete, strive, draw tight,” equivalent to con- prefix meaning “with, together” + tendere “to stretch”; see con-, tend 1
Explanation
To defend a belief or keep affirming that it's true is to contend. People used to contend that the earth was flat, but eventually, when no one dropped off the edge no matter how far they traveled, the "round" theory won. One of the meanings of contend is from the French "to strive with," and it is a literal fighting, as in "to contend with fists." Most contemporary uses of the verb contend illustrate competitions of proof or defense, where a person will contend that something is true, or better, or wrong. It is still a striving but more of a verbal kind, where what you contend is what you hope to convince others is correct.
Vocabulary lists containing contend
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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The SAT: Language of the Test, List 5
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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 car lacked the pace to contend for points, but Ocon at least extracted more from the difficult weekend than Bearman.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
A moth circling a porch light evolved to navigate by the moon; the bulb is an “evolutionary novelty” with which its ancestors never had to contend.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Now, he has to contend with replacing the memories of the other Asa with the reality of this badass sibling and accepting that he still may never see his parents ever again.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
Supporters highlight that current law already demands voters attest to their citizenship under penalty of perjury, and they contend that constitutional amendments like Prop.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
“Blocking up the streets and leaving heaps of dung for the likes of us to contend with,” said Gerris.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
Elliott contends that right now, stocks are incredibly expensive by almost any measure, and stock prices are based on very high growth expectations.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
Fox contends it is not difficult for him to play efficiently.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
The dust-up over data comes as the cattle industry contends with a growing list of challenges, including from the U.S.-Iran war, which has increased costs for farming staples like fuel and fertilizer.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 18, 2026
More than anything, the high-schools federation contends, officials need administrators’ support in ensuring their safety.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
But even if, as Cannadine contends, “Speech was the very fibre of his being,” that’s not to say that it proceeded in any natural way from that being.
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
Taco Bell, the fourth-largest U.S. fast-food chain by sales, has contended with its own episodes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
“Bessent and Warsh are working as a team,” Yardeni contended in a new research note posted to his site, Yardeni Quick Takes.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
But organizers contended that a union would give them the legal right to a seat at the table in decisions about their jobs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2026
U.S. stocks ended slightly higher after another tug-of-war day for markets as AI fever contended with Mideast disquiet.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026
In his memoir Holmes contended that the news did shock him.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
Officials will be contending with a challenging picture.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 25, 2026
Fitzgerald calls him a wanderer “skilled in all ways of contending . . . harried for years on end.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
After the eight-day-long fire in a 500,000-square-foot Boyle Heights warehouse, eastern Los Angeles residents are contending with putrid smells, soot and potentially hazardous airborne chemicals after heavy plumes of smoke spread throughout the city.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
What to watch out for: While Morocco's run to the last four in Qatar was a surprise, this side contending in the United States are much more than plucky underdogs.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
My courage failed me at the sight of a countinghouse or shop crowded with men, bartering and contending loudly with one another.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
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.
