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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

contend en · VERB

Pronunciation

Etymology

From Middle English contenden, borrowed from Old French contendre, from Latin contendere (“to stretch out, extend, strive after, contend”), from com- (“together”) + tendere (“to stretch”); see tend, and compare attend, extend, intend, subtend.

Meanings

  1. (intransitive) To be in opposition; to contest; to dispute; to vie; to quarrel; to fight.
    • 2011, Osaiah "Ike" Wilson III, James J.F. Forrest, Handbook of Defence Politics the armies of Syria and Lebanon lack the capability to contend with the Israeli army, as demonstrated during the course of the First Lebanon War.
    • The Lord said unto me, Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Deuteronomy 2:9:
    • For never two such kingdoms did contend without much fall of blood. 1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:
  2. (intransitive) To struggle or exert oneself to obtain or retain possession of, or to defend.
    • God has entrusted something to the church, and it is the church's job to contend for it, even unto death 2020, C. Matthew McMahon, Therese B. McMahon, 5 Marks of Christian Resolve:
    • 17th century, John Dryden, Epistle III to the Lady Castlemain You sit above, and see vain men below / Contend for what you only can bestow.
  3. (intransitive) To be in debate; to engage in discussion; to dispute; to argue.
    • these simple ideas are far from those innate principles which some contend for 1689 (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], chapter 2, in An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding. […], London: […] Eliz[abeth] Holt, for Thomas Basset, […], →OCLC, book I, page 9:
    • many of those things he so fiercely contended about , were either falle or trivial 1667, attributed to Richard Allestree, The Causes of the Decay of Christian Piety. […], London: […] R. Norton for T. Garthwait, […], →OCLC:
  4. (intransitive) To believe (something is reasonable) and argue (for it); to advocate.
    • A group of Colorado voters contends that Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution prohibits former President Donald J. Trump, who seeks the Presidential nomination of the Republican Party in this year’s election, from becoming President again. Supreme Court of the United States (2024), Trump v. Anderson, page 1
    • His critics contend the eight years [term limit] expired Tuesday, the day before the anniversary of Prayuth officially becoming prime minister in the military government installed after the coup. 2022 August 24, Tassanee Vejpongsa, Grant Peck, “Thai court suspends PM Prayuth pending ruling on term limit”, in The Washington Post, retrieved 24 Aug 2022:
    • In this paper the author contends that no useful results can be obtained if this method is used.
    • Some panellists contended that the costs of research and care justified the establishment of a permanent national commission 1996, Michael Adler, Erio Ziglio, Gazing Into the Oracle […] :
  5. To try to cope with a difficulty or problem.
    • However, the challenges for the railway world are much greater than for automotive as we generally have more occupants, higher speeds, greater masses, higher energies, and an absence of seatbelts or airbags to contend with. 2021 December 29, Dominique Louis, “Causal analysis: crashworthiness at Sandilands”, in RAIL, number 947, page 32:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
contends Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
contending Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
contended Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
contended Tense=Past lexicographic

Deriveds

uncontending · uncontended · contendingly · contend with · noncontending

Relateds

contender · contentious · contention

Synonyms

combat (strive in opposition) · oppose (strive in opposition) · contest (strive in debate) · submit (believe and argue) · assert (believe and argue) · fight (strive in opposition) · struggle (struggle) · emulate (struggle) · debate (strive in debate) · strive (struggle) · aver (believe and argue) · dispute (strive in debate) · litigate (strive in debate) · vie (strive in opposition)

Translations (93)

nl tegenspreken (strive in opposition) · mi kōkirikiri (strive in opposition) · la certō (strive in opposition) · cmn 奮鬥 /奋斗 (strive in opposition) · cs tvrdit (strive in debate) · de vorbringen (believe and argue) · mi kairapurapu (struggle) · fa ستیزه کردن (strive in opposition) · sv strida (strive in opposition) · bg сражавам се (struggle) · cs rvát se (strive in opposition) · sv kämpa (strive in opposition) · cmn 爭奪 /争夺 (struggle) · cs bojovat (strive in opposition) · fi väittää (believe and argue) · da kæmpe (strive in opposition) · es refertar (strive in opposition) · nl betwisten (strive in debate) · de ringen um (struggle) · cs probíjet se (struggle) · cs snažit se (struggle) · mi taumāhekeheke (strive in opposition) · de kämpfen (strive in opposition) · got 𐌷𐌰𐌹𐍆𐍃𐍄𐌾𐌰𐌽 (strive in opposition) · mi kairapu (struggle) · cs namáhat se (struggle) · non þreyta (struggle) · cmn 競爭 /竞争 (strive in opposition) · ang flītan (strive in opposition) · bg съпернича (strive in opposition) · uk наполяга́ти (strive in debate) · grc ἀθλέω (strive in opposition) · fi taistella (strive in opposition) · cmn 掙扎 (struggle) · de festhalten an (struggle) · nl betwisten (strive in opposition) · de streiten für (strive in debate) · grc ἀγωνίζομαι (strive in opposition) · fi riidellä (strive in opposition) · de sich auseinandersetzen (strive in opposition) · de kämpfen um (struggle) · cmn 鬥爭 /斗争 (strive in opposition) · la dīmicō (strive in opposition) · cmn 競爭 /竞争 (struggle) · uk спереча́тися (strive in debate) · cmn 掙扎 (strive in opposition) · hi जूझना (struggle) · de kämpfen für (struggle) · bg споря (strive in debate) · es opositar (strive in opposition) · cmn 認為 /认为 (believe and argue) · de verteidigen (struggle) · cs zápasit (strive in opposition) · la dīmicō (struggle) · fi kiistellä (strive in opposition) · da stride (strive in opposition) · de argumentieren (strive in debate) · bg състезавам се (strive in opposition) · fi kamppailla (struggle) · cmn 論證 /论证 (believe and argue) · pl zmagać się (struggle) · nl aantonen (believe and argue) · bg боря се (struggle) · es contender (struggle) · ru утвержда́ть (strive in debate) · ru боро́ться (struggle) · cmn 爭論 /争论 (strive in debate) · mi taukumekume (strive in debate) · de die Ansicht vertreten (believe and argue) · nl bestrijden (struggle) · ru соперничать (strive in opposition) · hi जूझना (strive in debate) · de sich widersetzen (strive in opposition) · de sich einsetzen für (strive in debate) · he רָב (strive in opposition) · de fest behaupten (believe and argue) · fi käydä käsiksi (strive in opposition) · fi esittää (believe and argue) · da slås (strive in opposition) · nl weerspreken (strive in opposition) · de ringen mit (strive in opposition) · mi tauwhawhai (strive in debate) · bg застъпвам (believe and argue) · fi väitellä (strive in debate) · de streiten (strive in opposition) · sa स्पर्धते (strive in opposition) · cmn 辯論 /辩论 (strive in debate) · enm macchen (strive in opposition) · es sostener (strive in debate) · uk боро́тися (struggle) · mi tauwhāinga (strive in opposition) · es contender (strive in opposition) · uk змага́тися (strive in opposition)