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

The real bone of contention is the opponents’ objection to the project’s aesthetics.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Sinner’s status remains murky—we could hear any minute now—but French Open winner and Wimbledon finalist Sasha Zverev has climbed into contention.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Definitely a top-four place and in contention for trophies.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

Charter pushed back on that contention, saying it helped residents in the burn areas.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026

These clothes, like other things about the baby, became a point of contention.

From "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini

Fiedler’s new preface proudly noted that the original’s once outrageous contentions were now widely accepted.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026

Indyke's lawyer, Daniel Weiner, said: "Mr Indyke and Mr Kahn deny all those contentions, including any allegations of fault, liability, wrongdoing or damages of any kind."

From BBC ● Mar. 10, 2026

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

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 28, 2026

The Ohio Supreme Court disagreed with both contentions.

From Slate ● Sep. 10, 2024

For all its enormous range of space, climate, and physical appearance, and for all the internal squabbles, contentions, and strivings, Texas has a tight cohesiveness perhaps stronger than any other section of America.

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck

Related Words

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