What is the meaning of contend?

verb

  • Maintain or assert.
    • usage: "He contended that Communism had no future"
  • Have an argument about something.
  • To make the subject of dispute, contention, or litigation.
    • usage: "They contested the outcome of the race"
  • Come to terms with.
    • usage: "We got by on just a gallon of gas"; "They made do on half a loaf of bread every day"
  • Compete for something; engage in a contest; measure oneself against others.
  • Be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight.
    • usage: "the tribesmen fought each other"; "Siblings are always fighting"; "Militant groups are contending for control of the country"
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APAWordNet. (2010). contend. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/contend/definitions/1267300
ChicagoWordNet. 2010. "contend" http://smartdefine.org/contend/definitions/1267300 (accessed September 20, 2026).
HarvardWordNet 2010, contend, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/contend/definitions/1267300>.
MLAWordNet. "contend" 23 October 2010. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/contend/definitions/1267300>
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