contentiousness

noun

Definition of contentiousnessnext
as in aggression
an inclination to fight or quarrel his natural tendency towards contentiousness made him a poor choice for a diplomatic post

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contentiousness
  1. aggression
  2. aggressiveness
  3. hostility
  4. combativeness
Noun
  • The United States must therefore carefully balance the need to de-risk against the need to deter aggression.
    — GLORIA XIONG, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Game fowl are bred for aggression by definition, said Jenny Berg, California state director of the Humane World for Animals, which worked with Rogers on the bill.
    — Naomi Taxay, Sacbee.com, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of aggression
Noun
  • Video from the Virginia incident, which shows an agent with a gun, has reignited conversations about the aggressiveness of ICE enforcement.
    — Juan Benn Jr, Washington Post, 12 Aug. 2026
  • She’s learned how to channel her competitiveness and aggressiveness in a much better way, a more productive way.
    — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of aggressiveness
Noun
  • The Soviet Union took them from Japan in the final days of World War II, and the dispute has kept the countries from signing a peace treaty formally ending their hostilities.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Riyadh and Abu Dhabi were already at loggerheads over Syria, with Saudi Arabia backing the post-Assad regime and the UAE sharing Israel’s hostility to it, and Yemen, where Saudi Arabia had just driven out Emirati proxies.
    — MARC LYNCH, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of hostility
Noun
  • Transport second Warning signs of heat stroke include dizziness, headache, nausea, severe fatigue, and can include confusion, combativeness or potential loss of consciousness, Casa says.
    — Scott Neuman, NPR, 29 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of combativeness

Browse Nearby Words

contentious
contentiousness
contentment
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Cite this Entry

“Contentiousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contentiousness. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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