Contest Definition

kŏntĕst
contested, contesting, contests
noun
contests
A fight, struggle, conflict, or controversy.
Webster's New World
A competition, especially one in which entrants perform separately and are rated by judges.
A spelling contest.
American Heritage
Any race, game, debate, etc. in which individuals or teams compete with one another to determine the winner.
Webster's New World

(countable) A competition.

The child entered the spelling contest.
Wiktionary
verb
contested, contesting, contests
To try to disprove or invalidate (something) as by argument or legal action; dispute.
To contest a will.
Webster's New World
To compete or strive for; struggle to gain or control.
Trade routes that were contested by competing cultures.
American Heritage
To fight for (ground, a military position, etc.); struggle to win or keep.
Webster's New World
To call into question and take an active stand against; dispute or challenge.
Contest a will.
American Heritage
To contend; struggle (with or against)
Webster's New World
idiom
no contest
Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Contest

Noun

Singular:
contest
Plural:
contests

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Contest

Origin of Contest

  • Probably from French conteste from contester to dispute from Old French to call to witness from Latin contestārī com- com- testis witness trei- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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

    From Wiktionary

Find Similar Words

Find similar words to contest using the buttons below.

Words Starting With

Words Ending With

Unscrambles

contest