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Meaning & use

contention

noun·Academicformal

Last updated

UK/kənˈtenʃən/
US/kənˈtɛnʃən/

Meanings

  1. nouncountableformal

    A belief or claim that someone puts forward and argues is true.

    Grammar: Often followed by that: his contention that the plan was flawed.

    Patterns

    • the contention that
    • someone's contention is that

    Her contention is that the study was too small.

    I reject the contention that prices will fall soon.

    The lawyer's main contention was that his client was elsewhere.

  2. noununcountableformal

    Disagreement or argument between people.

    Grammar: Uncountable when it means the quarrel itself: a point of contention.

    Patterns

    • a point of contention
    • a bone of contention

    The budget remained a point of contention in the family.

    Years of contention divided the two villages.

    Money was a bone of contention between the brothers.

  3. noununcountablesport

    Competition to win something, or the position of having a chance to win.

    Grammar: Used in phrases such as in contention or out of contention.

    Patterns

    • in contention for something
    • out of contention

    The team is still in contention for the title.

    A late injury put him out of contention.

    Three drivers are in contention for first place.

Word forms

pluralcontentions

Common combinations

bone of contention
The fence was a bone of contention between neighbors.
point of contention
Pay is the main point of contention in the talks.
in contention
Two players are still in contention.
out of contention
Injury put the runner out of contention.
central contention
The central contention of the essay is that sleep matters.

Synonyms and how they differ

assertion
An assertion is a statement said to be true, but a contention is a claim made as part of an argument.
dispute
Dispute is the plain word for a disagreement, while contention is more formal and can also mean a claim.
claim
Claim is the everyday word, while contention suggests the claim has to be defended.
strife
Strife describes bitter conflict, often in a broad sense, which is stronger than contention.

Opposites

agreementharmonyconsensus

Word family

contend verb
to argue that something is true, or to compete
contentious adjective
likely to cause disagreement
contender noun
someone competing to win
contentiously adverb
in a way that causes argument

Commonly confused: contention or content? contention or contension?

contention vs content

Content, stressed on the first syllable, means what is inside something. Contention is a disagreement or a claim.

contention vs contension

This is a misspelling. The correct word ends with tion.

Practice

The location of the new road has been a major point of ___ in the town.

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