Meanings
plural contentions
- countableuncountableA point maintained in an argument, or a line of argument taken in its support; the subject matter of discussion of strife; a position taken or contended for.
It is my contention that state lotteries are taxes on stupid people.
1 more example
The multiplicity of moral opinions is an empirical fact and does not invalidate the contention that there is only one morality par excellence.
1978 [1976], Leszek Kołakowski, translated by P[aul] S[teven] Falla, Main Currents of Marxism, volume II: The Golden Age, Oxford: Clarendon Press, translation of Główne nurty marksizmu: rozwój (in Polish), →ISBN, →OCLC, page 181 - countableuncountablecommunicationsCompetition by parts of a system or its users for a limited resource.
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latincontentio, contentionem
- Old Frenchcontencion
- Middle Englishcontencion
- Englishcontention
From Middle English contencion, borrowed from Old French contencion, from Latin contentio, contentionem, from contendō (past participle contentus); equivalent to contend + -tion (similar formation to attention).
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic جِدَال
- جِدَال (jidāl)contest, strife, struggle
Bulgarian състеза́ние, съревнова́ние
- състеза́ние (săstezánie)contest, strife, struggle
- съревнова́ние (sărevnovánie)contest, strife, struggle
- спор (spor)contest, strife, struggle
Catalan disputa, discòrdia
- disputacontest, strife, struggle
- discòrdiacontest, strife, struggle
- litigicontest, strife, struggle
- posiciópoint maintained in an argument
Czech soutěž, soupeření
- soutěžcontest, strife, struggle
- soupeřenícontest, strife, struggle
- soutěženícontest, strife, struggle
- tvrzenípoint maintained in an argument
- názorpoint maintained in an argument
- přesvědčenípoint maintained in an argument
Danish strid, uenighed
- stridcontest, strife, struggle
- uenighedcontest, strife, struggle
- påstandpoint maintained in an argument
Dutch strijd, ruzie
- strijdcontest, strife, struggle
- ruziecontest, strife, struggle
- beweringpoint maintained in an argument
Finnish väite, väittely
- väitecontest, strife, struggle
- väittelycontest, strife, struggle
- kantapoint maintained in an argument
- kilpavaraus(computing, telecommunications) Competition for a limited resource.
French dispute, discorde
- disputecontest, strife, struggle
- discordecontest, strife, struggle
- litigecontest, strife, struggle
German Streit, Behauptung
- Streitcontest, strife, struggle
- Behauptungpoint maintained in an argument
Irish amarrán, dréim
- amarráncontest, strife, struggle
- dréimcontest, strife, struggle
- bághcontest, strife, struggle
- coimhlintcontest, strife, struggle
- caismirtcontest, strife, struggle
- conspóidcontest, strife, struggle
Māori taukumekume
- taukumekumecontest, strife, struggle
Norwegian krangel, strid
- krangelcontest, strife, struggle
- stridcontest, strife, struggle
- påstandpoint maintained in an argument
Portuguese contenção, contenda
- contençãocontest, strife, struggle
- contendacontest, strife, struggle
Romanian dispută, discordie
- disputăcontest, strife, struggle
- discordiecontest, strife, struggle
- litigiucontest, strife, struggle
Russian спор, раздо́р
- спор (spor)contest, strife, struggle
- раздо́р (razdór)contest, strife, struggle
- пози́ция (pozícija)point maintained in an argument
Scottish Gaelic ceallach
- ceallachcontest, strife, struggle
Spanish contienda, contención
- contiendacontest, strife, struggle
- contencióncontest, strife, struggle
- contenciosocontest, strife, struggle
Swedish bråk, dispyt
- bråkcontest, strife, struggle
- dispytcontest, strife, struggle
- dustcontest, strife, struggle
- grälcontest, strife, struggle
- trätacontest, strife, struggle
- tvistcontest, strife, struggle
- tvistighetcontest, strife, struggle
Turkish anlaşmazlık, atışma
- anlaşmazlıkcontest, strife, struggle
- atışmacontest, strife, struggle
- kavgacontest, strife, struggle
- münakaşacontest, strife, struggle
- tartışmacontest, strife, struggle
- uyuşmazlıkcontest, strife, struggle
- iddiapoint maintained in an argument
- savpoint maintained in an argument
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
contention. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/contention
“contention.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/contention. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “contention,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/contention.
Source: contention on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.