contention

noun

con·​ten·​tion kən-ˈten(t)-shən How to pronounce contention (audio)
1
: a point advanced or maintained in a debate or argument
It is his contention that allowing a casino to be built would not be in the best interests of the city.
2
: an act or instance of contending
He has taken himself out of contention for the directorship.
3
Choose the Right Synonym for contention

discord, strife, conflict, contention, dissension, variance mean a state or condition marked by a lack of agreement or harmony.

discord implies an intrinsic or essential lack of harmony producing quarreling, factiousness, or antagonism.

a political party long racked by discord

strife emphasizes a struggle for superiority rather than the incongruity or incompatibility of the persons or things involved.

during his brief reign the empire was never free of civil strife

conflict usually stresses the action of forces in opposition but in static applications implies an irreconcilability as of duties or desires.

the conflict of freedom and responsibility

contention applies to strife or competition that shows itself in quarreling, disputing, or controversy.

several points of contention about the new zoning law

dissension implies strife or discord and stresses a division into factions.

religious dissension threatened to split the colony

variance implies a clash between persons or things owing to a difference in nature, opinion, or interest.

cultural variances that work against a national identity

Examples of contention in a Sentence

Tiger Woods splashed his way into contention in the New Zealand Open … shooting a four under par to close within six strokes of the lead. New York Times, 13 Jan. 2002
The issues behind the protest are the usual bones of collective-bargaining contention: pay increases, vacation time, union membership. Louis Menand, New Yorker, 17 & 24 June 2002
Science, and academic scholarship in general, the contention these days goes, is too subjective. Some even allege it's entirely subjective, as is, they say, history. Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World, 1996
All quotes from QDB.
That has been a source of contention for years. He is in contention for the Olympic medal.
Recent Examples on the Web Homa eventually struggled to a quadruple-bogey nine on the par-four 14th hole, ruling him out of contention for the tournament. Ben Morse, CNN, 18 Mar. 2024 The second motion that will be considered Thursday is based on Trump's contention that there are many open legal questions about the law known as the Espionage Act, which he has been accused of violating. Robert Legare, CBS News, 14 Mar. 2024 According to Mills, the exact amount of Cena’s skin to be shown was a subject of contention between ABC ceremony producers and the FCC. Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 Few people agree with Musk’s contention that GPT-4 is AGI. Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 5 Mar. 2024 Years of contention The local nonprofit Project 1020 has been running a temporary shelter out of churches during the winter since 2015. Sarah Ritter, Kansas City Star, 26 Feb. 2024 After officially being eliminated from Big 12 regular-season title contention Saturday, the Jayhawks (21-8, 9-7 Big 12) are focused on getting ready for March Madness. Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2024 The Red Sox crumbled in similar fashion, going 22-34 over the final two months of the season to finish 78-84 and 11 games out of playoff contention. Mike Digiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2024 When Rose erred by crossing the starting line early in the first race Saturday, she was relegated to last place and fell out of contention for victory. Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 25 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'contention.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English contencioun "dissension, dispute," borrowed from Anglo-French cuntençun, contencion, borrowed from Latin contentiōn-, contentiō "exertion, competition, conflict," from conten-, variant stem of contendere "to strain, make an effort, strive, compete" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at contend

Note: Regarding the variant -ten- with deverbal suffixes beginning in -t- (so contentiō rather than *contensiō), see the note at tender entry 3.

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of contention was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near contention

Cite this Entry

“Contention.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contention. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

contention

noun
con·​ten·​tion kən-ˈten-chən How to pronounce contention (audio)
1
: an act or instance of contending
2
: an idea or point for which a person argues (as in a debate or argument)

More from Merriam-Webster on contention

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!