Synonyms for contention
Most common
Synonyms by meaning
Noun
1. Controversy — argument, contest, debate, strife, struggle
controversy, argument, dispute, assertion, quarrel, feud, disagreement, strife, arguing, debate, conflict, altercation, wrangling, fight, dissension, war, squabble, fighting, war of words, difference, discord, hostility
2. Competition
Other
litigation, gainstriving, gainstrife dated
Definitions
- n. 1
Argument, contest, debate, strife, struggle.
- n. 2
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.
Related words
- Word family
- contend contender contentious contentiousness
- Phrases
- bone of contention point of contention
Forms
- Plural
- contentions → controversies, arguments, disputes, assertions…
Choose the right word
A quarrel is in word or act, or both, and is commonly slight and transient, as we speak of childish quarrels; contention and strife may be in word or deed; contest ordinarily involves some form of action. Contest is often used in a good sense, contention and strife very rarely so.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- argument No one could get the better of him in an argument.
- dispute Go is a game of dispute and conquest of territory.
- controversy She has waded into one controversy after another.
- assertion Tom refuted that assertion with a counterexample.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| contention | falling | |
| argument | steady | |
| dispute | steady | |
| controversy | falling | |
| assertion | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- war1
- 4 letters
- feud1
- 5 letters
- fight1
- 6 letters
- debate2, strife1
- 7 letters
- contest2, dispute2, arguing3, rivalry3, discord2, quarrel2
- 8 letters
- fighting2, argument3, conflict2, struggle2, squabble2
- 9 letters
- assertion3, hostility4, wrangling3
- 10 letters
- difference3, litigation4, dissension3, gainstrife
- 11 letters
- competition4, controversy4, altercation4
- 12 letters
- disagreement4, gainstriving
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (debate2 = 2 syllables).