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

SpaceX’s valuation has been a major point of contention among analysts, some of whom argue that the company was overvalued even before the stock surged soon after its public debut.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026

Argentine referee Facundo Tello is out of contention for the same reason, with all three officials also ineligible for the third-place play-off as it is guaranteed to involve one of the teams.

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 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

A key point of contention is Iran’s insistence upon charging billions of dollars in service fees for ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026

It was true that American gymnastics had evolved in recent years, with older girls like 2012 Fierce Fivers Aly Raisman and Gabby Douglas now back in contention to make the 2016 Olympics team.

From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles

Evidence for many of these contentions is scant or absent.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026

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

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 28, 2026

Amid these competing contentions, efforts are on to find a middle ground.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2025

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

Related Words

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