Con*ten"tion (?), n. [F.
contention, L. contentio. See Contend.]
1. A violent effort or struggle to obtain,
or to resist, something; contest; strife.
I would my arms could match thee in
contention.
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 contention
to obtain.
Rogers.
4. A point maintained in an argument, or
a line of argument taken in its support; the subject matter of
discussion or 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 necessarily 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 much.
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.
