as in aggression
an inclination to fight or quarrel
his natural tendency towards contentiousness made him a poor choice for a diplomatic post
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Recent Examples of contentiousness
Despite their contentiousness, the candidates agreed on most major policy issues.
—
Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 17 June 2026
Then there is the lifelong contentiousness with her mother, Marluce Martins Perry, a talented Brazilian artist who reluctantly traded her gifts and status for matrimony and child-rearing and resented her family in the wake of her decision.
—A.d. Amorosi, SPIN, 4 May 2026
The theme of the contentiousness was that the Bengals didn’t have interest in offering any long-term guarantees that were a priority to the 31-year-old.
—Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Reinecke attributed some of the contentiousness to a conflict between economic development and historic preservation.
—Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 17 June 2026
Then there is the lifelong contentiousness with her mother, Marluce Martins Perry, a talented Brazilian artist who reluctantly traded her gifts and status for matrimony and child-rearing and resented her family in the wake of her decision.
—A.d. Amorosi, SPIN, 4 May 2026
The theme of the contentiousness was that the Bengals didn’t have interest in offering any long-term guarantees that were a priority to the 31-year-old.
—Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Reinecke attributed some of the contentiousness to a conflict between economic development and historic preservation.
—Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contentiousness
Noun
-
This time in the ring, Louis was supported by white and Black Americans alike, who were more unified against German aggression as World War II loomed.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
19 June 2026
-
Twelve years later, there’s more salt and pepper in Rogen’s beard and more vinegar in his demeanor; the let-it-all-hang-out comic boisterousness of his Judd Apatow days has hardened into a shell of middle-aged aggression.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
19 June 2026
Noun
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Yet signs of pressing persist as the Padres steer solutions toward aggressiveness on the basepaths.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 June 2026
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The aggressiveness was needed on a night Spurs head coach directed players to pick Brunson up full-court after San Antonio makes.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
This one would stop hostilities between the countries and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
15 June 2026
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Beyond the price of specific things households need, an end to the hostilities will likely also mean that broad measures of inflation will come down.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
Noun
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But there is a far more important influence Dobeš can have on this series than his combativeness, and that is his puckhandling.—
Sean Gentille,
New York Times,
23 May 2026
-
As a student at Dartmouth College, Dhillon doubled down on her political beliefs with a combativeness that foreshadowed her later commitment to MAGA.—
Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contentiousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contentiousness. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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