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

• battle
• compete
• face off
• fight
• race
• rival
• vie

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

The defense contends the government’s approach was designed to imply corruption, alleging misconduct on Diddy’s part in obstructing justice. —Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 9 June 2025

Reddit contends its unique features elevate its content and thus make the content more attractive to scraping endeavors. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 8 June 2025

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party contends that opening royal status to commoners is just one step down a path that will ultimately lead to the abandonment of patrilineal legitimacy, ultimately discarding the sacred Y chromosome. —Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 8 June 2025

But the provision in the bill has been a point of contention among lawmakers as many contend that AI technology is still new and needs to be under state regulation. —Sudiksha Kochi, USA Today, 7 June 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