contest

1 of 2

verb

contested; contesting; contests

intransitive verb

: strive, vie
contested for power

transitive verb

: to make the subject of dispute, contention, or litigation
especially : dispute, challenge
The deceased's relatives are contesting his will.
contestable adjective
contester noun

contest

2 of 2

noun

con·​test ˈkän-ˌtest How to pronounce contest (audio)
1
: a struggle for superiority or victory : competition
a football contest between rival teams
2
: a competition in which each contestant performs without direct contact with or interference from competitors
He won the contest for best photograph.

Examples of contest in a Sentence

Verb She plans to contest a seat in Congress next year. Both candidates have agreed to another debate before this hotly contested election. Noun Contest winners receive a cash prize. Will you enter the contest? She hopes to win the contest for mayor. Democrats and Republicans are engaged in a contest for control of the House of Representatives.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Verb
And people’s feelings might be even more intense if the results are unclear or contested. Rebecca Knight, Harvard Business Review, 4 Nov. 2024 Both have already lined up their legions of lawyers to contest and defend where necessary. Chris Jackson, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
The contest has five categories: Character, Creative, Scary, Youth (under 13) and Group and there's $4,000 in cash prizes available so get shopping, sewing, gluing, building or whatever! Analis Bailey, Axios, 24 Oct. 2024 In the former, Miller correctly foresaw that the contest was far closer than posited by the late polls, and tagged Biden’s victory within 12 electoral votes. Shawn Tully, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for contest 

Word History

Etymology

Verb

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French contester "to debate, make the subject of dispute," earlier "to refuse to recognize a right or claim," probably borrowed from Old Occitan contestar, borrowed from Latin contestārī "to call to witness," in the phrase lītem contestārī (with līt-, līs "dispute at law") "to join issue in a legal suit," from con- con- + -testārī, verbal derivative of testis "witness" — more at testament

Noun

derivative of contest entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

1603, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1630, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of contest was in 1603

Dictionary Entries Near contest

Cite this Entry

“Contest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contest. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

contest

1 of 2 verb
: to make (something) a cause of dispute or fighting
contest a claim

contest

2 of 2 noun
con·​test ˈkän-ˌtest How to pronounce contest (audio)
: a struggle for victory : competition

Legal Definition

contest

1 of 2 transitive verb
con·​test kən-ˈtest How to pronounce contest (audio)
: to dispute or challenge through legal procedures
contest a will

contest

2 of 2 noun
con·​test ˈkän-ˌtest How to pronounce contest (audio)
: a challenge brought through formal or legal procedures
boundary controversies or other contests between statesFelix Frankfurter
specifically : will contest see also no contest clause

More from Merriam-Webster on contest

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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