no contest

noun

: nolo contendere

Examples of no contest in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The driver who was racing Morales, Kyle Harrison, pleaded no contest to two counts of felony vehicular manslaughter and engaging in a speed contest that led to great bodily injury, according to court records. — Tim Fang, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026 Haddish reached a plea deal in the case in February 2024, pleading no contest to a vehicle code violation. — Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2026 Kyle Harrison, 25, the other person involved in the street race, pleaded no contest to charges including vehicular manslaughter and was sentenced to eight years in prison. — Jason Green, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2026 This legal move allows the couple to plead guilty or no contest to the charges. — Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for no contest

Word History

First Known Use

1931, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of no contest was in 1931

Browse Nearby Words

no-confidence vote
no contest
no-count
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“No contest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/no%20contest. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Legal Definition

no contest

noun
: nolo contendere
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of oxymoron

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All