Meaning & use

point of contention

phrase·Academic

A specific issue or topic that causes disagreement or argument between people.

See it in a sentence

The location of the new factory became a major point of contention between residents.

Salary increases remained a point of contention throughout the labor negotiations.

A note on using this word

Use point of contention for the exact issue being disputed, not for the disagreement itself.

Words with a similar meaning

bone of contentionsticking point

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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