Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Contest
Con-test′
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Contested
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Contesting
.] [F.
contester
, fr. L. contestari
to call to witness, contestari litem
to introduce a lawsuit by calling witnesses, to bring an action; con-
+ testari
to be a witness, testic
witness. See Testify
.] 1.
To make a subject of dispute, contention, litigation, or emulation; to contend for; to call in question; to controvert; to oppose; to dispute.
The people . . .
contested
not what was done. Locke.
Few philosophical aphorisms have been more frequenty repeated, few more
contested
than this. J. D. Morell.
2.
To strive earnestly to hold or maintain; to struggle to defend;
as, the troops
. contested
every inch of ground3.
(Law)
To make a subject of litigation; to defend, as a suit; to dispute or resist; as a claim, by course of law; to controvert.
Syn. – To dispute; controvert; debate; litigate; oppose; argue; contend.
Con-test′
,Verb.
I.
To engage in contention, or emulation; to contend; to strive; to vie; to emulate; – followed usually by with.
The difficulty of an argument adds to the pleasure of
contesting
with it, when there are hopes of victory. Bp. Burnet.
Of man, who dares in pomp with Jove
contest
? Pope.
Con′test
,Noun.
1.
Earnest dispute; strife in argument; controversy; debate; altercation.
Leave all noisy
contests
, all immodest clamors and brawling language. I. Watts.
2.
Earnest struggle for superiority, victory, defense, etc.; competition; emulation; strife in arms; conflict; combat; encounter.
The late battle had, in effect, been a
contest
between one usurper and another. Hallam.
Syn. – Conflict; combat; battle; encounter; shock; struggle; dispute; altercation; debate; controvesy; difference; disagreement; strife.
–
Contest
, Conflict
, Combat
, Encounter
. Contest is the broadest term, and had originally no reference to actual fighting. It was, on the contrary, a legal term signifying to call witnesses, and hence came to denote first a struggle in argument, and then a struggle for some common object between opposing parties, usually one of considerable duration, and implying successive stages or acts. Conflict denotes literally a close personal engagement, in which sense it is applied to actual fighting. It is, however, more commonly used in a figurative sense to denote strenuous or direct opposition; as, a mental conflict; conflicting interests or passions; a conflict of laws. An encounter is a direct meeting face to face. Usually it is a hostile meeting, and is then very nearly coincident with conflict; as, an encounter of opposing hosts. Sometimes it is used in a looser sense; as, “this keen encounter of our wits.” Shak.
Combat is commonly applied to actual fighting, but may be used figuratively in reference to a strife or words or a struggle of feeling. Webster 1828 Edition
Contest
CONTEST
,Verb.
T.
1.
To dispute; to strive earnestly to hold or maintain; to struggle to defend. The troops contested every inch of ground.2.
To dispute; to argue in opposition to; to controvert; to litigate; to oppose; to call in question; as, the advocate contested every point.None have contested the proportion of these ancient pieces.
CONTEST
, v.i.1.
To strive; to contend; followed by with.The difficulty of an argument adds to the pleasure of contesting with it, when there are hopes of victory.
2.
To vie; to emulate.Of man who dares in pomp with Jove contest.
CONTEST
,Noun.
1.
Strife; struggle for victory, superiority, or in defense; struggle in arms. All Europe engaged in the contest against France. The contest was furious.2.
Dispute; debate; violent controversy; strife in argument.Leave all noisy contests, all immodest clamors, and brawling language.
Definition 2024
contest
contest
English
Noun
contest (countable and uncountable, plural contests)
- (uncountable) Controversy; debate.
- no contest
- (uncountable) Struggle for superiority; combat.
- (countable) A competition.
- The child entered the spelling contest.
Synonyms
- (controversy): controversy, debate, discussion
- (combat): battle, combat, fight
- (competition): competition, pageant
Derived terms
Terms derived from the noun "contest"
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Translations
controversy
combat — see combat
competition — See also translations at : competition
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Verb
contest (third-person singular simple present contests, present participle contesting, simple past and past participle contested)
- (intransitive) To contend.
- I will contest for the open seat on the board.
- Alexander Pope
- Of man, who dares in pomp with Jove contest?
- Bishop Burnet
- The difficulty of an argument adds to the pleasure of contesting with it, when there are hopes of victory.
- (transitive) To call into question; to oppose.
- The rival contested the dictator's re-election because of claims of voting irregularities.
- J. D. Morell
- Few philosophical aphorisms have been more frequently repeated, few more contested than this.
- (transitive) To strive earnestly to hold or maintain; to struggle to defend.
- The troops contested every inch of ground.
- (law) To make a subject of litigation; to defend, as a suit; to dispute or resist, as a claim, by course of law; to controvert.
Synonyms
- (contend): compete, contend, go in for
- (oppose): call into question, oppose
Antonyms
- (oppose): support
Translations
to contend
to oppose
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