contention
Americannoun
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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
-
dispute in an argument (esp in the phrase bone of contention )
-
a point asserted in argument
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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.
Two others are still in contention for the second slot: British-American former TV host Steve Hilton, a Republican, and billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer, another Democrat.
From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026
The world’s No. 1 player is a major needle mover for women’s golf and is a significant source of ratings when she’s in contention.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
The pope’s contention that “the use of force, violence and weapons reflects a relational poverty that always has disastrous consequences for civilian populations” won’t provoke any objections from the global glitterati.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026
How to deal with the tattered economy had also been one of Sonko's major sources of contention with Faye.
From Barron's • May 26, 2026
Slavery had been outlawed in Britain in 1807, but it still caused contention among some of the British upper class.
From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman
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.
