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
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.
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
Asked about another crash involving the software, Phatak disputed NTSB’s contention that Autopilot should not have functioned on the road in Florida where driver Jeremy Banner was killed in 2019 when his Tesla barreled into a semi-truck and slid under its trailer.
—Trisha Thadani, Washington Post, 7 Apr. 2024
But even with the settlements, there has been contention over the high concentration of factory farms in Kewaunee, and the growing number of private wells impacted by nitrate.
—Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2024
Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky's Relationship Timeline On RHOBH, the Richards family home has been both a source of nostalgia and contention amongst the sisters.
—Emily Weaver, Peoplemag, 26 Mar. 2024
When San Francisco bolstered its infield with the signing of third baseman Matt Chapman to a three-year, $54-million deal on March 2, many felt the Giants were one starting pitcher away from playoff contention.
—Mike Digiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2024
The package included a reduction in the time demands placed on athletes — a problem that eventually became central to the National Labor Relations Board’s contention that athletes are employees.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2024
The contention being, according to the director, that knowledge of your environment gives you control over it.
—Lise Pedersen, Variety, 22 Mar. 2024
Despite contentions to the contrary, however, there is little evidence of widespread voter fraud and the same federal laws that require accurate voter rolls also require that steps are taken not to disenfranchise voters.
—Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press, 13 Mar. 2024
Despite being released in late 1942, Casablanca didn’t go into wide release until early 1943 and wasn’t eligible for Academy Award contention until 1944.
—Chris Yogerst, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024
Trisha Thadani, Washington Post, 7 Apr. 2024
But even with the settlements, there has been contention over the high concentration of factory farms in Kewaunee, and the growing number of private wells impacted by nitrate.
—Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2024
Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky's Relationship Timeline On RHOBH, the Richards family home has been both a source of nostalgia and contention amongst the sisters.
—Emily Weaver, Peoplemag, 26 Mar. 2024
When San Francisco bolstered its infield with the signing of third baseman Matt Chapman to a three-year, $54-million deal on March 2, many felt the Giants were one starting pitcher away from playoff contention.
—Mike Digiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2024
The package included a reduction in the time demands placed on athletes — a problem that eventually became central to the National Labor Relations Board’s contention that athletes are employees.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2024
The contention being, according to the director, that knowledge of your environment gives you control over it.
—Lise Pedersen, Variety, 22 Mar. 2024
Despite contentions to the contrary, however, there is little evidence of widespread voter fraud and the same federal laws that require accurate voter rolls also require that steps are taken not to disenfranchise voters.
—Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press, 13 Mar. 2024
Despite being released in late 1942, Casablanca didn’t go into wide release until early 1943 and wasn’t eligible for Academy Award contention until 1944.
—Chris Yogerst, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 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.
Dictionary Entries Near contention
Cite this Entry
“Contention.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contention. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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)
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