contend

verb

con·​tend kən-ˈtend 

contended; contending; contends

intransitive verb

1

: to strive or vie in contest or rivalry or against difficulties : struggle

contended with the problems of municipal government

will contend for the championship this year

2

: to strive in debate : argue

transitive verb

1

: maintain, assert

contended that he was right

contends that the new law would help only the wealthy

2

: to struggle for : contest

She contended every point, objected to every request …

—Margaret Mead

Synonyms

• compete

Examples of contend in a Sentence

These people contend that they have earned the right to the land.

The team is expected to contend for the championship this year.

Recent Examples on the Web

Abrego Garcia denies being a member of the gang and contends the charges don’t justify holding him in jail. —Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 4 July 2025

The 40-year-old James will give the Lakers a chance to reach Ayton, which, in turn, will give them a chance to contend for another championship. —Dylan Hernández, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2025

After winning six of their final seven games to close out 2024, the Horned Frogs are expecting to contend for a Big 12 title and a college football playoff berth, but TCU’s schedule is brutal. —Steven Johnson july 3, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 July 2025

Although some critics contend that the merger diminishes competition in the market, HPE CEO Antonio Neri views it as a strategic advancement, reinforcing HPE’s position across AI data centers, cloud ecosystems, and telecom networks. —Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 3 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English contenden, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French contendre, going back to Latin contendere "to draw tight, strain, make an effort, strive, compete," from con- con- + tendere "to extend outward, stretch, spread out, aim (at a purpose)" — more at tender entry 3

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing contend

• a lot to contend with
• contend with

Rhymes for contend

• amend
• append
• ascend
• attend
• backend
• befriend
• boyfriend
• commend
• compend
• defend
• depend
• descend

Kids Definition

contend

verb

con·​tend kən-ˈtend 

1

: compete

2

: to try hard to deal with

many problems to contend with

3

: to argue or state earnestly

contend that my opinion is right

contender noun