What's the difference between contend and contentious?

Contend


Definition:

  • (v. i.) To strive in opposition; to contest; to dispute; to vie; to quarrel; to fight.
  • (v. i.) To struggle or exert one's self to obtain or retain possession of, or to defend.
  • (v. i.) To strive in debate; to engage in discussion; to dispute; to argue.
  • (v. t.) To struggle for; to contest.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) Duesberg contends that HIV is neither necessary nor sufficient to cause AIDS.
  • (2) It is contended that the latter is the main factor in its production as opposed to the more common external rotation variety.
  • (3) The truth is, some of these attacks would be leveled against any Republican presidential contender.
  • (4) What did surprise pundits was Hollywood's recognition of this unflinching Austrian film about ageing as a candidate for best picture, among such expected contenders as Steven Spielberg's Lincoln , Ben Affleck's Argo and Tom Hooper's Les Misérables .
  • (5) The mayor needs to be in parliament to challenge other contenders for the party's leadership, such as George Osborne and Theresa May.
  • (6) Defence lawyers contended that Saiful's testimony about the alleged sodomy, at a Kuala Lumpur condominium in 2008, was riddled with inconsistencies and the DNA evidence mishandled by investigators.
  • (7) Although Menzies, et al., report that survival rates are higher than previously expected and that in most cases the children's and parents' lives appear not to be excessively burdensome, the Working Group contends that there "continues to be ethical justification for selective treatment" of such newborns.
  • (8) Romney contends the president is a nice guy who has failed to make things better.
  • (9) Radiotherapy after limited resection of craniopharyngiomas has been advocated by some investigators while others contend radical resections by means of advanced surgical techniques afford better outcome of patients.
  • (10) Despite spanning more than 1,300 acres it will not, apparently, be a contender for the title of world's largest: that appears still to reside with the 47-stage Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad, India, as certified by Guinness World Records .
  • (11) Those seeking to stop the project contend that the $997m joint venture, signed in May 2010, did not undergo parliamentary scrutiny because it was concluded under the previous military regime.
  • (12) Although acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is clearly a public health threat, Beauchamp contends that the view that it is also a threat to the majority's values is a form of potentially counterproductive legal moralism.
  • (13) The author contends that changes in psychoanalytic theory are currently facilitating a more experiential view of the Rorschach.
  • (14) And he will contend, with a laugh, that therefore by any objective criteria, at 54, his career should be over already, while all the time doing everything in his power to prove the opposite.
  • (15) Scott Walker says building Canada border wall is a 'legitimate issue' Read more The governor, who is running well behind among the 17 contenders in the Republican White House race, sought to draw a distinction between his proposal and what he called Donald Trump’s “simplistic” idea on how to deal with an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the US.
  • (16) The prosecution contended that while that manoeuvre was lawful, his repeated use of a baton against her legs showed the officer had lost his self-control.
  • (17) It represents something of a vindication for Spielberg whose last high-minded awards contender, the first-world-war drama War Horse, failed to win anything at the last edition of either the Globes or the Oscars.
  • (18) Before we meet, I have to have a stern talk with myself about not mentioning the game last August in which all Arsenal fans will contend that Barton got new signing Gervinho sent off on his debut; he's had similarly abrasive encounters since with fellow midfielders, Karl Henry from Wolves and Norwich's Bradley Johnson, the latter earning him a three-match ban.
  • (19) With four matches to take the crown, a single strength can make the difference for the remaining contenders.
  • (20) It’s a massive inconvenience to have to check a laptop, and you can imagine that such a demand is met with resistance by air carriers, who are powerful lobbies.” US airlines have been lobbying the Trump administration to intervene in the Persian Gulf, where they have contended for years that the investments in three rapidly expanding airlines in the area – Etihad Airways, Qatar, and Emirates – constitute unfair government subsidies with which Delta, American and United cannot compete.

Contentious


Definition:

  • (a.) Fond of contention; given to angry debate; provoking dispute or contention; quarrelsome.
  • (a.) Relating to contention or strife; involving or characterized by contention.
  • (a.) Contested; litigated; litigious; having power to decide controversy.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) Republicans remain wary of a contentious debate on the divisive issue, which could anger their core voters and undercut potential electoral gains in the November elections when control of Congress will be at stake.
  • (2) How to administer the fund is another contentious area.
  • (3) They make a big deal when it happens, and then they forget.” The use of sarin has been highly contentious throughout the Syrian war.
  • (4) The election in the capital of the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation has been deeply contentious.
  • (5) I can only say, we want to do more in terms of research and we obviously want to support our scientists.” NCRIS is not specifically mentioned in the contentious higher education bill that the Senate will debate next week.
  • (6) I’ve never had a black person or a brown person ever say anything bad about me.” Then he proceeded to make fresh contentious comments, first by repeating the comparison between slavery and welfare dependence: “Receiving welfare and housing – is that a sense of slavery when you get caught up in that and can’t get out of it for generations?
  • (7) Garcia, who sought to interview all 22 executive committee members who made the contentious decision to award the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 tournament to Qatar but found some who are no longer in football beyond his reach, delivered his report this month.
  • (8) The Jedwabne massacre and Kaminski's line that "Jews should say sorry for killing Poles" during the second world war is by far the most important of the many contentious issues on this man.
  • (9) Samuel Wurzelbacher, who became famous during the 2008 election as “Joe the Plumber” after he had a heated discussion with Obama on the campaign trail, was championed by presidential nominee John McCain but later made contentious remarks such as a call to “put a damn fence on the border going to Mexico and start shooting”.
  • (10) Southern said on Tuesday it would reinstate travel passes for staff and allow them to swap shifts, reversing two contentious moves following strike action.
  • (11) Meanwhile, MPs in Athens approved the contentious reforms and austerity package demanded by its creditors amid angry scenes in parliament and violent clashes on the streets on Wednesday.
  • (12) Italy’s president, Giorgio Napolitano, has resigned, formally setting off what will be a contentious election to replace him.
  • (13) There is a growing conviction that medical technologies are major contributors to escalating costs, and regulating them is generally viewed as the least contentious way to control expenses in the 1980's.
  • (14) The contentious position is set to be waved into the final EU negotiating position by consensus.
  • (15) But this later proved contentious because the reserve appeared to preclude any resettlement of the atolls by islanders whose families had been evicted in 1965 to make way for a giant US air force base.
  • (16) The treasurer Joe Hockey has hinted the government might be prepared to shift ground on its insistence that a crucial $150m research funding extension hinges on the passage of contentious legislation to deregulate university fees.
  • (17) Business rates have long been a contentious issue among retailers, who argue the system penalises high street premises and unfairly benefits online retailers.
  • (18) Osborne also envisages “demonstrating the concept” of safe fracking by “focusing on a small number of sites in less contentious locations” including “public sector land (particularly MOD owned)”.
  • (19) Trump is an isolationist so the Chinese are going to see that as an opportunity to keep strengthening their position and their role in the region.” Delury said Trump was also likely to ditch the highly contentious Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) which under Obama had been “a centrepiece of an American resurgence of its role in Asia”.
  • (20) Political distortion And in all of this, Brooks consistently injected a highly contentious political ideology into the arteries of public debate, a toxic cocktail of crude populism and intellectual confusion.