contention

noun

con·​ten·​tion kən-ˈten(t)-shən 

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

: rivalry, competition

Synonyms

• argument
• assertion
• thesis

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

Why This Matters The ESA, enacted in 1973 to safeguard vulnerable species and their habitats, has long been a focal point of contention. —Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025

The key to that was elite special teams, namely a top power play that has proven to be the team’s bread and butter during their recent stretch of contention. —Dom Luszczyszyn, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025

Israel would also maintain a buffer zone inside Gaza along the border with Israel, the official said, without specifying how wide that zone would be – another subject of contention during the negotiations. —Jeremy Diamond, CNN, 14 Jan. 2025

Women in combat Hegseth’s previous comments about not supporting women in combat roles in the military were a major source of contention during his hearing. —Mike Brest, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 14 Jan. 2025

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

Phrases Containing contention

• in contention
• in contention for
• out of contention for
• point of contention

Kids Definition

contention

noun

con·​ten·​tion kən-ˈten-chən 

1

: an act or instance of contending

2

: an idea or point for which a person argues (as in a debate or argument)