Word Meanings - CONTENTION - Book Publishers vocabulary database

1. A violent effort or struggle to obtain, or to resist, something; contest; strife. I would my arcontenion. Shak. 2. Strife in words; controversy; altercation quarrel; dispute; as, a bone of contention. Contentions and strivings about the law.

Additional info about word: CONTENTION

1. A violent effort or struggle to obtain, or to resist, something; contest; strife. I would my arcontenion. Shak. 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 contenion to obtain. Rogers. 4. 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. All men seem agreed what is to be done; the contention is how the subject is to be divided and defined. Bagehot. This was my original contention, and I still maintain that you should abide by your former decision. Jowett. 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 necessairly 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 such. 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.

Possible synonyms: (Same meaning words of CONTENTION)

• Bickering
• Wrangling
• disputing
• contention
• strife
• altercation
• dispute
• Clamor
• Contention
• contentiousness
• squabble
• tumult
• hubbub
• noise
• uproar
• outcry
• obloquy
• Colluctation
• Wrestling
• competition
• Combat
• Encounter
• conflict
• struggle
• contest
• engagement
• arms
• battle
• Controversy
• Dispute
• disagreement
• quarrel
• disputation
• wrangle
• bickering
• question

Possible antonyms: (opposite words of CONTENTION)

• Dictate
• state
• assert
• pronounce
• enunciate
• concede
• endorse
• affirm
• grant
• allow

Related words: (words related to CONTENTION)

• BATTLE
  Fertile. See Battel, a.
• STATESMANLIKE
  Having the manner or wisdom of statesmen; becoming a statesman.
• STATEHOOD
  The condition of being a State; as, a territory seeking Statehood.
• QUARRELING
  Engaged in a quarrel; apt or disposed to quarrel; as, quarreling factions; a quarreling mood. -- Quar"rel*ing*ly, adv.
• ENDORSER
  See INDORSER
• ENCOUNTERER
  One who encounters; an opponent; an antagonist. Atterbury.
• AFFIRMATIVELY
  In an affirmative manner; on the affirmative side of a question; in the affirmative; -- opposed to negatively.
• WRESTLE
  1. To contend, by grappling with, and striving to trip or throw down, an opponent; as, they wrestled skillfully. To-morrow, sir, I wrestle for my credit, and he that escapes me without some broken limb shall acquit him well. Shak. Another, by a
• ASSERT
  self, claim, maintain; ad + serere to join or bind together. See 1. To affirm; to declare with assurance, or plainly and strongly; to state positively; to aver; to asseverate. Nothing is more shameful . . . than to assert anything to
• CLAMOROUS
  Speaking and repeating loud words; full of clamor; calling or demanding loudly or urgently; vociferous; noisy; bawling; loud; turbulent. "My young ones were clamorous for a morning's excursion." Southey. -- Clam"or*ous*ly, adv. -- Clam"or*ous*ness,
• ALLOWEDLY
  By allowance; admittedly. Shenstone.
• UPROARIOUS
  Making, or accompanied by, uproar, or noise and tumult; as, uproarious merriment. -- Up*roar"i*ous*ly, adv. -- Up*roar"i*ous*ness, n.
• ASSERTORY
  Affirming; maintaining. Arguments . . . assertory, not probatory. Jer. Taylor. An assertory, not a promissory, declaration. Bentham. A proposition is assertory, when it enounces what is known as actual. Sir W. Hamilton.
• DISPUTABLE
  1. Capable of being disputed; liable to be called in question, controverted, or contested; or doubtful certainty or propriety; controvertible; as, disputable opinions, propositions, points, or questions. Actions, every one of which is
• COMBAT
  To struggle or contend, as with an opposing force; to fight. To combat with a blind man I disdain. Milton. After the fall of the republic, the Romans combated only for the choice of masters. Gibbon.
• ALLOW
  allocare to admit as proved, to place, use; confused with OF. aloer, fr. L. allaudare to extol; ad + laudare to praise. See Local, and cf. 1. To praise; to approve of; hence, to sanction. Ye allow the deeds of your fathers. Luke xi. 48. We commend
• ALLOWER
  1. An approver or abettor. 2. One who allows or permits.
• CONTESTABLE
  Capable of being contested; debatable.
• STRUGGLER
  One who struggles.
• DISPUTATION
  1. The act of disputing; a reasoning or argumentation in opposition to something, or on opposite sides; controversy in words; verbal contest respecting the truth of some fact, opinion, proposition, or argument. 2. A rhetorical exercise in which
• CREBRICOSTATE
  Marked with closely set ribs or ridges.
• DENUNCIATE
  To denounce; to condemn publicly or solemnly. To denunciate this new work. Burke.
• CALLOW
  1. Destitute of feathers; naked; unfledged. An in the leafy summit, spied a nest, Which, o'er the callow young, a sparrow pressed. Dryden. 2. Immature; boyish; "green"; as, a callow youth. I perceive by this, thou art but a callow maid. Old Play .
• HALLOW
  To make holy; to set apart for holy or religious use; to consecrate; to treat or keep as sacred; to reverence. "Hallowed be thy name." Matt. vi. 9. Hallow the Sabbath day, to do no work therein. Jer. xvii. 24. His secret altar touched with hallowed
• SAGEBRUSH STATE
  Nevada; -- a nickname.
• THRYFALLOW
  To plow for the third time in summer; to trifallow. Tusser.
• OLD LINE STATE
  Maryland; a nickname, alluding to the fact that its northern boundary in Mason and Dixon's line.
• ENSTATE
  See INSTATE
• REENGAGEMENT
  A renewed or repeated engagement.
• SALLOWISH
  Somewhat sallow. Dickens.
• INDISPUTABLE
  Not disputable; incontrovertible; too evident to admit of dispute. Syn. -- Incontestable; unquestionable; incontrovertible; undeniable; irrefragable; certain; positive; undoubted; sure; infallible. -- In*dis"pu*ta*ble*ness, n. -- In*dis"pu*ta*bly,
• KATASTATE
  A substance formed by a katabolic process; -- opposed to anastate. See Katabolic.
• BAYOU STATE
  Mississippi; -- a nickname, from its numerous bayous.