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

The Ta'ang National Liberation Army agreed to an armistice in October, after the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army handed back once bitterly contested Lashio in April.

From Barron's

While the existence of fume events isn’t contested, the possibility that they could lead to serious illness—and even deaths—is hotly disputed.

From The Wall Street Journal

In contested media deals, time horizons and risk tolerance frequently shape the result as much as headline offer price.

From Barron's

There are four weeks left in the NFL's regular season and I feel like every year we're saying this, but I don't think the league's ever been this contested.

From BBC

Every decision to lower rates is becoming more contested as rates move closer to a so-called neutral setting that neither spurs nor slows economic activity.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• debated