Syn. — Struggle; strife; contest; quarrel; combat; conflict; feud; litigation; controversy; dissension; variance; disagreement; debate; competition; emulation. — Contention, Strife. A struggle between two parties is the idea common to these two words. Strife is a struggle for mastery; contention is a struggle for the possession of some desired object, or the accomplishment of some favorite end. Neither of the words is necessairly used in a bad sense, since there may be a generous strife or contention between two friends as to which shall incur danger or submit to sacrifices. Ordinarily, however, these words denote a struggle arising from bad passions. In that case, strife usually springs from a quarrelsome temper, and contention from, a selfish spirit which seeks its own aggrandizement, or is fearful lest others should obtain too such. Strife has more reference to the manner than to the object of a struggle, while contention takes more account of the end to be gained.
CONTENTIOUS
Con*ten"tious, a. Etym: [L. contentiosus: cf. F. contentieux.]
1. Fond of contention; given to angry debate; provoking dispute or contention; quarrelsome. Despotic and contentious temper. Macaulay.
2. Relating to contention or strife; involving or characterized by contention. Spenser. More cheerfull; though not less contentious, regions. Brougham.
3. (Law)
Defn: Contested; litigated; litigious; having power to decide controversy. Contentious jurisdiction (Eng. Eccl. Law), jurisdiction over matters in controversy between parties, in contradistinction to voluntary jurisdiction, or that exercised upon matters not opposed or controverted.
Syn.
— Quarrelsome; pugnacious; dissentious; wrangling; litigious;
perverse; peevish. - Con*ten"tious*ly, adv.
— Con*ten"tious*ness, n.
CONTENTLESS
Con*tent"less, a. Etym: [Content + -less.]
Defn: Discontented; dissatisfied. [R.] Shak.
CONTENTLY
Con*tent"ly, adv.