# contention

> English word · Noun · IPA /kənˈtɛnʃən/ · frequency rank #10,671

## Definitions
1. Argument, contest, debate, strife, struggle.
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.
3. Competition by parts of a system or its users for a limited resource.

## Etymology
From Middle English contencion, borrowed from Old French contencion, from Latin contentio, contentionem, from contendō (past participle contentus); equivalent to contend + -tion (similar formation to attention).

## Easily confused with
- **convention** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/contention-vs-convention)
- **convection** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/contention-vs-convection)
- **contrition** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/contention-vs-contrition)
- **conventions** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/contention-vs-conventions)
- **contentious** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/contention-vs-contentious)
- **connection** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/connection-vs-contention)
- **conception** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/conception-vs-contention)
- **congestion** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/congestion-vs-contention)

## Common misspellings (16)
`ccontention`, `cnotention`, `conetntion`, `conntention`, `conteniton`, `contenntion`, `contension`, `contentino`, `contentionn`, `contentoin`, `contenttion`, `contetnion`, `contnetion`, `conttention`, `cotnention`, `ocntention`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/contention