contest

1 of 2

verb

con·​test kən-ˈtest  ˈkän-ˌtest 

contested; contesting; contests

intransitive verb

: strive, vie

contested for power

transitive verb

: to make the subject of dispute, contention, or litigation

especially : dispute, challenge

The deceased's relatives are contesting his will.

contestable

kən-ˈte-stə-bəl 

adjective

contester noun

contest

2 of 2

noun

con·​test ˈkän-ˌtest 

1

: a struggle for superiority or victory : competition

a football contest between rival teams

2

: a competition in which each contestant performs without direct contact with or interference from competitors

He won the contest for best photograph.

Synonyms

Verb

• challenge
• dispute
• impeach
• oppugn
• query
• question

Noun

• ball game
• battle
• combat
• competition
• conflict
• confrontation
• contention
• dogfight
• duel
• face-off
• grapple
• match
• rivalry
• strife
• struggle
• sweepstakes
• sweep-stake
• tug-of-war
• war
• warfare

Examples of contest in a Sentence

Verb

She plans to contest a seat in Congress next year.

Both candidates have agreed to another debate before this hotly contested election.

Noun

Contest winners receive a cash prize.

Will you enter the contest?

She hopes to win the contest for mayor.

Democrats and Republicans are engaged in a contest for control of the House of Representatives.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The 13th House District, which covers parts of Detroit and Warren, will be contested between Democrat Mai Xiong and Republican Ronald Singer. —Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press, 16 Apr. 2024

The game was contested Saturday at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. —Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 15 Apr. 2024

In 2019, more than 8,000 candidates contested the election. —Helen Regan, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024

The role that ideology may have played in Bernstein’s death will be sharply contested at his trial, with opening statements expected to begin Tuesday in Orange County Superior Court. —Christopher Goffard, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024

March 24, 2023 Upper-level competition in this year’s Crew Classic has also been adversely impacted; the U.S. Olympic Rowing Trials are being contested this weekend. —Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2024

But both can expect more—and more tenacious—challenges as the international order becomes contested and as India’s foreign policy is increasingly wrapped up in nationalistic domestic politics. —Rohan Mukherjee, Foreign Affairs, 4 Apr. 2024

With 19 candidates contesting the election, pundits expected none to secure the 50% needed to win outright and predicted that Mr. Faye would face a runoff against President Sall’s protégé, former Prime Minister Amadou Ba. —Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 Mar. 2024

Animal protection groups, however, have long contested the financial benefits for communities and conservation. —Kate Brady, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024

Noun

First dunk at the State Farm College Slam Dunk contest by Arizona’s Keshad Johnson gets 52 points. —Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2024

The Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers also offer a contest for a chance for one diner to win two complimentary tickets to each dinner of the series. —Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 4 Apr. 2024

In their first contest, Jackson had tallied the most votes, but four candidates split the electoral college. —TIME, 4 Apr. 2024

The tour moved to the Central Valley for a three-game stretch, including a night game in Stockton and a morning contest in Marysville. —Joe Davidson, Sacramento Bee, 4 Apr. 2024

The Rangers went on to win 4-3 after Chris Kreider scored a power play goal late on in the fiery contest. —Jacob Lev, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024

The activist investor Nelson Peltz and Ike Perlmutter, the former chairman of Marvel Entertainment, have failed to infiltrate Disney’s board for the second time in two years, losing a tensely fought contest for support of the company’s shareholders as part of a campaign to alter its direction. —Brooks Barnes, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2024

But of those, roughly 1.7 million blew off the presidential contests — 22% of the voters. —George Skelton, The Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2024

Despite prevailing in the proxy contest, Disney must reckon with simmering discontent among its shareholder base. —Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French contester "to debate, make the subject of dispute," earlier "to refuse to recognize a right or claim," probably borrowed from Old Occitan contestar, borrowed from Latin contestārī "to call to witness," in the phrase lītem contestārī (with līt-, līs "dispute at law") "to join issue in a legal suit," from con- con- + -testārī, verbal derivative of testis "witness" — more at testament

Noun

derivative of contest entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

1603, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1630, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing contest

• beauty contest
• no contest
• popularity contest

Kids Definition

contest

1 of 2 verb

con·​test kən-ˈtest  ˈkän-ˌtest 

: to make (something) a cause of dispute or fighting

contest a claim

contest

2 of 2 noun

con·​test ˈkän-ˌtest 

: a struggle for victory : competition

Legal Definition

contest

1 of 2 transitive verb

con·​test kən-ˈtest 

: to dispute or challenge through legal procedures

contest a will

contest

2 of 2 noun

con·​test ˈkän-ˌtest 

: a challenge brought through formal or legal procedures

boundary controversies or other contests between states

—Felix Frankfurter

specifically : will contest see also no contest clause