contention
kuhn-TEN-shuhn
/kənˈtenʃn/
A heated disagreement or struggle; or an assertion maintained in an argument.
Has two distinct meanings: either the state of discord/strife, or the central point/thesis of an argument.
The story behind the word. From the Latin contentionem, meaning 'a stretching, striving, or fight.' It comes from contendere, where con- (together) meets tendere (to stretch). Imagine two people pulling a rope in opposite directions—they are stretching it together, creating tension.
Word relationships
- assertion: Assertion is simply a confident statement, while a contention is an assertion made specifically in the context of a debate or disagreement.
- strife: Strife refers to angry, bitter conflict, whereas contention can refer to intellectual disagreement or debate.
- harmony: Harmony is a state of peaceful agreement and cooperation.
- accord: Accord is an official agreement or state of harmony.
Commonly confused with
- contentment: Contentment is a state of happiness and satisfaction, which is the exact opposite of the strife implied by contention.
Word family
- contentious (adjective): Causing or likely to cause an argument; controversial.
- contend (verb): To struggle to surmount an obstacle; or to assert something as a position in an argument.
Collocations
- bone of contention
- point of contention
- source of contention
- main contention
Idioms & expressions
- bone of contention
Example sentences
- "It is my contention that the economic policies of the 1920s directly triggered the Great Depression." A central thesis in an academic paper.
- "The division of the family inheritance became a source of bitter contention among the three brothers." A state of conflict between siblings.
Memory hook
Contention is when there is 'tension' between people who 'contend' for the same thing. Stretching in opposite directions.
When not to use
Do not use to describe physical, non-verbal fights like a bar brawl.
Fun facts
- The idiom 'bone of contention' refers to two dogs fighting over a single bone, representing a subject that causes ongoing dispute.
Explore more words
contend, dispute, altercation, dissension, confrontation, concede
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