Contention and Contest

Contention

Contention noun - An earnest effort for superiority or victory over another.
Usage example: several actresses seem to be in heated contention for the title of “worst dressed”

Contest is a synonym for contention in speech topic. In some cases you can use "Contest" instead a noun "Contention", when it comes to topics like conflict, dispute, battle, competition.

Contest

Contest noun - An earnest effort for superiority or victory over another.
Usage example: the eternal contest between the forces of good and the forces of evil

Contention is a synonym for contest in conflict topic. You can use "Contention" instead a noun "Contest", if it concerns topics such as dispute, speech, argument, battle.

How words are described

hot hot contention hot contest
further further contention further contest
academic academic contention academic contest
international international contention international contest
Cite this Source
Contest and Contention. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/contention/contest
Contention & Contest. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/contention/contest>.
Contest or Contention. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/contention/contest.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "contention" and "contest" have occurred on timeline