contention

con·ten·tion

noun \kən-ˈten(t)-shən\

Definition of CONTENTION

1

: an act or instance of contending

2

: a point advanced or maintained in a debate or argument

3

: rivalry, competition

Examples of CONTENTION

1. That has been a source of contention for years.
2. He is in contention for the Olympic medal.
3. 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
4. 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
5. 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
6. All quotes from QDB.

Origin of CONTENTION

Middle English contencioun, from Anglo-French cuntenciun, from Latin contention-, contentio, from contendere

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to CONTENTION

Synonyms

argument, assertion, thesis

Related Words

conjecture, guess, hunch, hypothesis, speculation, surmise, theory; proposal, proposition; assumption, presupposition, supposition; position, stand; case, explanation, rationale, reason

Near Antonyms

concord, harmony, peace

See Synonym Discussion at discord

Rhymes with CONTENTION

dimension, high-tension, Vincentian