contestation

noun

ˌkän-ˌte-ˈstā-shən How to pronounce contestation (audio)
Definition of contestationnext
as in dispute
variance of opinion on a matter the statement is certainly open to contestation among reasonable people

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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 contestation In particular, Iran’s cinematic identity over the past century has been characterized by the contestation of hegemonic forces, both secular and fundamentalist. — Nick Kouhi, Vogue, 21 Jan. 2026 What supplies all these events with a sense of approaching a precipice is the open contestation between pro- and anti-democratic forces, happening both here and abroad, in view of each other. — Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2026 That makes some of these contestations existential, particularly for smaller combatants. — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 12 Jan. 2026 Indeed, the existence of avenues for contestation is in the very nature of competitive authoritarianism. — Steven Levitsky, Foreign Affairs, 11 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for contestation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contestation
  1. dispute
  2. controversy
  3. disputation
  4. debate
  5. disagreement
Noun
  • According to the Daily Mail, Baldoni and Swift actually communicated after the end of his dispute with Lively, and the two now share a code word when talking about the issue.
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 13 July 2026
  • The agreement resolve some disputes as state regulators continue hearing evidence that will determine what millions of customers ultimately pay for electricity.
    — Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 13 July 2026
Definition of dispute
Noun
  • The Giants have had their share of controversies during their disappointing first half.
    — Christian Babcock, Mercury News, 10 July 2026
  • The leader of the Reform UK party – which is topping most UK opinion polls – resigned as a member of parliament for Clacton-on-Sea, his constituency in southeast England, on Tuesday, amid mounting controversy over undeclared financial donations.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 9 July 2026
Definition of controversy
Noun
  • This did not, however, mark the end of disputation concerning the Northwest Angle.
    — Scott Spires, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Mar. 2026
  • According to him, advances in machine learning have yanked questions once trapped inside theological/philosophical disputations into corporate board packs.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2025
Definition of disputation
Noun
  • The debate over the development has played out amid a serious downturn in the region’s entertainment industry, with studios shifting film and television production to Georgia, New Mexico and other out-of-state locations.
    — Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026
  • Because of the vast amount of money being thrown into these markets, semantic debates have exploded into financial ones.
    — Jon Sarlin, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
Definition of debate
Noun
  • Rather, the point would be to convert disagreements regarding biodiversity into guidance for ongoing experimentation.
    — Taylor Dotson, Scientific American, 10 July 2026
  • His comments broadened the debate beyond Machado’s individual case, framing the controversy as one involving fundamental civil liberties rather than simply a political disagreement over the opposition leader’s role during the disaster response.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 9 July 2026
Definition of disagreement

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Cite this Entry

“Contestation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contestation. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

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