contest

French contester, from Old French, from Latin contestor (“to call to witness”)

Noun

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈkɒn.tɛst/
• (US) enPR: kŏn'tĕst, IPA^(key): /ˈkɑn.tɛst/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒntɛst

Verb

• (UK, US) enPR: kəntĕst', IPA^(key): /kənˈtɛst/
• Rhymes: -ɛst

contest (countable and uncountable, plural contests)

1. (uncountable) Controversy; debate.

   no contest

2. (uncountable) Struggle for superiority; combat.
3. (countable) A competition.

   The child entered the spelling contest.

• (controversy): controversy, debate, discussion
• (combat): battle, combat, fight
• (competition): competition, pageant

contest (third-person singular simple present contests, present participle contesting, simple past and past participle contested)

1. (intransitive) To contend.

   I will contest for the open seat on the board.

   • Alexander Pope

     Of man, who dares in pomp with Jove contest?

   • Bishop Burnet

     The difficulty of an argument adds to the pleasure of contesting with it, when there are hopes of victory.

2. (transitive) To call into question; to oppose.

   The rival contested the dictator's re-election because of claims of voting irregularities.

   • J. D. Morell

     Few philosophical aphorisms have been more frequently repeated, few more contested than this.

3. (transitive) To strive earnestly to hold or maintain; to struggle to defend.

   The troops contested every inch of ground.

4. (law) To make a subject of litigation; to defend, as a suit; to dispute or resist, as a claim, by course of law; to controvert.

• (contend): compete, contend, go in for
• (oppose): call into question, oppose

• (oppose): support

• Consett, Cottens