v., -tend·ed, -tend·ing, -tends.

v.intr.

1. To strive in opposition or against difficulties; struggle: armies contending for control of strategic territory; had to contend with long lines at the airport.
2. To compete, as in a race; vie.
3. To strive in controversy or debate; dispute. See synonyms at discuss.

v.tr.

To maintain or assert: The defense contended that the evidence was inadmissible.

[Middle English contenden, from Latin contendere : com-, com- + tendere, to stretch, strive.]

contender con·tend'er n.

verb

1. To strive in opposition: battle, combat, duel, fight, struggle, tilt, war, wrestle. See conflict/cooperation.
2. To strive against (others) for victory: compete, contest, emulate, rival, vie. See conflict/cooperation.
3. To put forth reasons for or against something, often excitedly: argue, debate, dispute, moot. See affirm/deny/argue, words.
4. To engage in a quarrel: argue, bicker, dispute, fight, quarrel, quibble, spat, squabble, tiff, wrangle. Informal hassle, tangle. Idioms: cross swords, have it out, have words, lock horns. See conflict/cooperation.
5. To put into words positively and with conviction: affirm, allege, argue, assert, asseverate, aver, avouch, avow, claim, declare, hold, maintain, say, state. Idioms: have it. See affirm/deny/argue.

v

Definition: argue
Antonyms: cede, give in, give up, surrender

v

Definition: compete, fight
Antonyms: abandon, desert, give up, leave, retreat

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Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The verb has 5 meanings:

Meaning #1: maintain or assert
  Synonym: postulate

Meaning #2: have an argument about something
  Synonyms: argue, debate, fence

Meaning #3: to make the subject of dispute, contention, or litigation
  Synonyms: contest, repugn

Meaning #4: compete for something; engage in a contest; measure oneself against others
  Synonyms: compete, vie

Meaning #5: come to terms or deal successfully with
  Synonyms: cope, get by, make out, make do, grapple, deal, manage

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Dansk (Danish)
v. intr. - strides, kappes, kæmpe
v. tr. - argumentere, hævde

Nederlands (Dutch)
strijden/vechten (voor iets), wedijveren, beweren

Français (French)
v. intr. - affronter, se disputer (qch), concourir
v. tr. - prétendre que, soutenir

Deutsch (German)
v. - behaupten, kämpfen

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - αντιδικώ, ανταγωνίζομαι, (αντι)μάχομαι, αντιπαλεύω, διατείνομαι, ισχυρίζομαι

Italiano (Italian)
disputare, insistere, competere

Português (Portuguese)
v. - afirmar, discutir, combater

Русский (Russian)
оспаривать, утверждать, состязаться

Español (Spanish)
v. intr. - afirmarse, sostenerse, mantenerse
v. tr. - afirmar, sostener, mantener, contender, luchar, competir

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - strida, sträva, tävla, tvista, hävda, strida om

中文（简体） (Chinese (Simplified))
奋斗, 竞争, 斗争, 为...斗争, 坚决主张, 声称

中文（繁體） (Chinese (Traditional))
v. intr. - 奮鬥, 競爭, 鬥爭
v. tr. - 為...鬥爭, 堅決主張, 聲稱

한국어 (Korean)
v. intr. - 싸우다, 경쟁하다, 논쟁하다
v. tr. - 강력히 주장하다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 争う, 競う, 論争する, 主張する

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) نافس, ناقش, جادل, زعم, أدعى‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. intr. - ‮נאבק, התחרה‬
v. tr. - ‮טען‬

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