contention

noun

con·ten·tion | \ kən-ˈten(t)-shən

Definition of contention

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 : rivalry, competition

Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about contention

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Choose the Right Synonym for contention

discord, strife, conflict, contention, dissension, variance mean a state or condition marked by a lack of agreement or harmony. discord implies an intrinsic or essential lack of harmony producing quarreling, factiousness, or antagonism. a political party long racked by discord strife emphasizes a struggle for superiority rather than the incongruity or incompatibility of the persons or things involved. during his brief reign the empire was never free of civil strife conflict usually stresses the action of forces in opposition but in static applications implies an irreconcilability as of duties or desires. the conflict of freedom and responsibility contention applies to strife or competition that shows itself in quarreling, disputing, or controversy. several points of contention about the new zoning law dissension implies strife or discord and stresses a division into factions. religious dissension threatened to split the colony variance implies a clash between persons or things owing to a difference in nature, opinion, or interest. cultural variances that work against a national identity

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Plainly speaking, that shouldn’t be a point of contention for anyone. — Teen Vogue, "Outrage at Arya Stark's "Game of Thrones" Sex Scene Is Misplaced," 22 Apr. 2019 Bedinghaus’ contention that the technology wasn’t mature 20 years ago is supported by Bill Johnson, who was deeply involved in the roof design at Chase Field. — Paul Daugherty, Cincinnati.com, "Paul Daugherty: What if...Great American Ball Park had a roof?," 30 Mar. 2018 If your Instagram feed is anything like ours, it’s filled with beautiful backsplashes and drop-dead gorgeous floors that can attest to Clamp’s contention. — Megan Beauchamp, House Beautiful, "Alert: Encaustic Tile is Making a Major Comeback," 12 Feb. 2019 The new mother is currently still in contention to score her eighth title at the annual tournament, having won her third-round match on Friday, defeating Kristina Mladenovic of France. — Maria Pasquini, PEOPLE.com, "Serena Williams ‘Cried’ After Missing Her Daughter’s First Steps While Training for Wimbledon," 7 July 2018 There’s some contention about what actually happened, but the Pyramid Lake War, or Paiute War as it is also known, was up to that point the biggest conflict between Indian tribes and white settlers. — National Geographic, "Why the Short-Lived Pony Express Still Fascinates Us," 23 June 2018 And ethical values lose some of their charge when they’re thrown into contention with the elemental shopping values, i.e., function, style, convenience, price. — Maya Singer, Vogue, "Is There Really Such a Thing as “Ethical Consumerism?”," 4 Feb. 2019 Ohio State, which vaulted into playoff contention with its win over Michigan last week, faces No. — Brian Costa, WSJ, "On College Football’s Championship Weekend: Win and You’re In (Maybe)," 30 Nov. 2018 Two top four spots are still up for grabs heading into the final week of the season after Giroud's header kept Chelsea in contention with a 1-0 win over Liverpool on Sunday. — SI.com, "Olivier Giroud Hopes to Be Blues' 'Lucky Charm' After Keeping Chelsea in Champions League Race," 8 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'contention.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.