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.
Shentrica Jones Clark, 41, pleaded no contest on Monday and received a withhold of adjudication, meaning no criminal conviction will appear on her record. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026 That time on the list followed Jacobs pleading no contest in September to battery and criminal-damage-to-property charges stemming from a May domestic incident with his former girlfriend. — Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 Nov. 2026 An Overland Park mother who authorities charged with murder in the 2023 death of her 1-year-old child, alleging the toddler was malnourished and neglected, has pleaded no contest to a group of charges. — Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026 The former Dallas Cowboys quarterback pleaded no contest to charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated. — ABC News, 22 Oct. 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 10 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Legal Definition

no contest

noun
: nolo contendere
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of defer

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All