Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Contention
1.
A violent effort or struggle to obtain, or to resist, something; contest; strife.
I would my arms could match thee in
contention
. Shakespeare
2.
Strife in words; controversy; altercation; quarrel; dispute;
as, a bone of
. contention
Contentions
and strivings about the law. Titus iii. 9.
3.
Vehemence of endeavor; eagerness; ardor; zeal.
An end . . . worthy our utmost
contention
to obtain. Rogers.
4.
A point maintained in an argument, or a line of argument taken in its support; the subject matter of discussion or strife; a position taken or contended for.
All men seem agreed what is to be done; the
contention
is how the subject is to be divided and defined. Bagehot.
Syn. – Struggle; strife; contest; quarrel; combat; conflict; feud; litigation; controversy; dissension; variance; disagreement; debate; competition; emulation.
–
Contention
, Strife
. A struggle between two parties is the idea common to these two words. Strife is a struggle for mastery; contention is a struggle for the possession of some desired object, or the accomplishment of some favorite end. Neither of the words is necessarily used in a bad sense, since there may be a generous strife or contention between two friends as to which shall incur danger or submit to sacrifices. Ordinarily, however, these words denote a struggle arising from bad passions. In that case, strife usually springs from a quarrelsome temper, and contention from, a selfish spirit which seeks its own aggrandizement, or is fearful lest others should obtain too much. Strife has more reference to the manner than to the object of a struggle, while contention takes more account of the end to be gained. Webster 1828 Edition
Contention
CONTENTION
,Noun.
1.
Strife; struggle; a violent effort to obtain something, or to resist a person, claim or injury; contest; quarrel.Multitudes lost their lives in a tumult raised by contention among the partizans of the several colors.
2.
Strife in words or debate; quarrel; angry contest; controversy.Avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law. Titus 3.
A fools lips enter into contention. Proverbs 18.
3.
Strife or endeavor to excel; emulation.4.
Eagerness; zeal; ardor; vehemence of endeavor.This is an end worthy of our utmost contention to obtain.
Definition 2024
contention
contention
English
Noun
contention (plural contentions)
- argument, contest, debate, strife, struggle
- A 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.
- (computing, telecommunications) Competition by parts of a system or its users for a limited resource.
Synonyms
Hyponyms
- (computing) resource contention
Related terms
Related terms of contention
Translations
contest, strife, struggle
|
point maintained in an argument
References
-
contention on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
External links
- contention in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
- contention in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
Old French
Noun
contention f (oblique plural contentions, nominative singular contention, nominative plural contentions)
Descendants
- English: contention