contested

American  

[kuhn-tes-tid] / kənˈtɛs tɪd /

adjective

1. battled; fought.

   Bates pulled off the win, 82–79, in a tightly contested matchup.

2. involving a disagreement or dispute.

   The waiting period for a contested divorce has been reduced to 12 months.

3. being fought over; in dispute.

   The contested land is located 30 kilometers south of the city.

   At times, the parties may not come to an agreement, or they may only agree on some of the contested issues.

4. involving more than one candidate.

   Congressional redistricting and a contested Senate seat led to a series of competitive Michigan primaries on Tuesday.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of contest.

Other Word Forms

• uncontested adjective
• uncontestedly adverb
• well-contested adjective

Etymology

Origin of contested

contest ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

Once, confronted with a contested four-way stop, Harvey waited for the offending cyclist to clear, then took his turn briskly.

From The Wall Street Journal

Meanwhile, a judge ruled that one contested project could proceed.

From The Wall Street Journal

That claim is hotly contested, and the evidence is finely balanced.

From BBC

A will can generally be contested among these grounds: lack of testamentary capacity, undue influence from a family member, and improper execution.

From MarketWatch

After a tortuous and contested process, a federal judge endorsed a roughly $6 billion bid by Amber.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• debated