First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
contention
noun con·ten·tion \kən-ˈten(t)-shən\
: something (such as a belief, opinion, or idea) that is argued or stated
: anger and disagreement
: a situation in which you have a chance to win something that you are trying to win
Full Definition of CONTENTION
1
: an act or instance of contending
2
: a point advanced or maintained in a debate or argument
3
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Examples of CONTENTION
- 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.
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Origin of CONTENTION
Middle English contencioun, from Anglo-French cuntenciun, from Latin contention-, contentio, from contendere
Synonym Discussion of 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>.
Rhymes with CONTENTION
CONTENTION Defined for Kids
contention
noun con·ten·tion \kən-ˈten-chən\
Definition of CONTENTION for Kids
1
: something that is argued <It's my contention that watching television is a waste of time.>
2
: anger and disagreement
3
: a state or situation of having a chance to win <She's in contention for the gold medal.>
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