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contest

 - 5 dictionary results

con⋅test

[n. kon-test; v. kuhn-test]
–noun
1. a race, conflict, or other competition between rivals, as for a prize.
2. struggle for victory or superiority.
3. strife in argument; dispute; controversy: Their marriage was marred by perpetual contest.
–verb (used with object)
4. to struggle or fight for, as in battle.
5. to argue against; dispute: to contest a controversial question; to contest a will.
6. to call in question: They contested his right to speak.
7. to contend for in rivalry.
–verb (used without object)
8. to dispute; contend; compete.

Origin:
1595–1605; (v.) < L contestāri to call to witness (in a lawsuit), equiv. to con- con- + testārī to testify, deriv. of testis witness; (n.) deriv. of the v., or < F conteste


con⋅test⋅a⋅ble, adjective
con⋅test⋅a⋅ble⋅ness, noun
con⋅test⋅a⋅bly, adverb
con⋅test⋅er, noun
con⋅test⋅ing⋅ly, adverb


1. contention, rivalry, match, tournament, tourney, game. 2. battle, encounter. See fight. 3. debate, polemic, altercation. 4. See compete. 5. controvert, oppose. 6. challenge. 7. strive, compete, vie.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To contest
con·test   (kŏn'těst')   
n.  
  1. A struggle for superiority or victory between rivals.

  2. A competition, especially one in which entrants perform separately and are rated by judges. See Synonyms at conflict.

v.   (kən-těst', kŏn'těst') con·test·ed, con·test·ing, con·tests

v.   tr.
  1. To compete or strive for.

  2. To call into question and take an active stand against; dispute or challenge: contest a will. See Synonyms at oppose.

v.   intr.
To struggle or compete; contend: contested with other bidders for the antique.

[Probably from French conteste, from contester, to dispute, from Old French, to call to witness, from Latin contestārī : com-, com- + testis, witness; see trei- in Indo-European roots.]
con·test'a·ble adj., con'tes·ta'tion (kŏn'tě-stā'shən) n., con·test'er n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

contest  (v.)
1603, from Fr. contester "dispute, oppose," from M.Fr., from L. contestari (litem) "to call to witness, bring action," from com- "together" + testari "to bear witness," from testis "a witness," (see testament). Calling witnesses as the first step in a legal combat. The noun is 1643, from the verb. Contestant "one who contests" is from 1861, popularized in U.S. Civil War.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: 1con·test
Pronunciation: k&n-'test
Function: transitive verb
: to dispute or challenge through legal procedures <contest a will>

Main Entry: 2con·test
Pronunciation: 'kän-"test
Function: noun
: a challenge brought through formal or legal procedures contests between states —Felix Frankfurter>; specifically : WILL CONTEST —see also NO CONTEST CLAUSE
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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