contention
noun
con·ten·tion
kən-ˈten(t)-shən 
1
: a point advanced or maintained in a debate or argument
It is his contention that allowing a casino to be built would not be in the best interests of the city.
2
: an act or instance of contending
He has taken himself out of contention for the directorship.
3
Examples of contention in a Sentence
Tiger Woods splashed his way into contention in the New Zealand Open … shooting a four under par to close within six strokes of the lead.
—
New York Times, 13 Jan. 2002
The issues behind the protest are the usual bones of collective-bargaining contention: pay increases, vacation time, union membership.
—Louis Menand, New Yorker, 17 & 24 June 2002
Science, and academic scholarship in general, the contention these days goes, is too subjective. Some even allege it's entirely subjective, as is, they say, history.
—Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World, 1996
All quotes from QDB.
That has been a source of contention for years.
He is in contention for the Olympic medal.
New York Times, 13 Jan. 2002
The issues behind the protest are the usual bones of collective-bargaining contention: pay increases, vacation time, union membership.
—Louis Menand, New Yorker, 17 & 24 June 2002
Science, and academic scholarship in general, the contention these days goes, is too subjective. Some even allege it's entirely subjective, as is, they say, history.
—Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World, 1996
All quotes from QDB.
That has been a source of contention for years.
He is in contention for the Olympic medal.
Recent Examples on the Web
Famous for being a site of political contention (ahem, Rosie O’Donnell versus Elisabeth Hasselbeck), the show today saw the five hosts, who all oppose Trump, instead sorrowfully eulogizing democracy.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024
Doyle’s web gems continued through the stretch of the season, long after the Rockies were way out of contention.
—Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 3 Nov. 2024
And with the team returning to full health, could LA be about to go on a run to catapult itself back into playoff contention?
—Ben Morse, CNN, 30 Oct. 2024
However, this photo later became a source of significant contention within the company.
—Paresh Dave, WIRED, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for contention 
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Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024
Doyle’s web gems continued through the stretch of the season, long after the Rockies were way out of contention.
—Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 3 Nov. 2024
And with the team returning to full health, could LA be about to go on a run to catapult itself back into playoff contention?
—Ben Morse, CNN, 30 Oct. 2024
However, this photo later became a source of significant contention within the company.
—Paresh Dave, WIRED, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for contention
Dictionary Entries Near contention
Cite this Entry
“Contention.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contention. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
contention
noun
con·ten·tion
kən-ˈten-chən
1
: an act or instance of contending
2
: an idea or point for which a person argues (as in a debate or argument)
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