Contest: A Competition, and the Act of Disputing Something
A contest is a competition for a prize. As a verb, stressed on the second syllable, it means to dispute or challenge — a will, an election result, a decision.
Contest shifts meaning with its stress. CON-test is an event with a winner. Con-TEST is to dispute something formally, which is why a contested divorce and a beauty contest have almost nothing in common beyond the spelling.
- A competition (noun). *A singing contest.*
- To dispute formally (verb). *He contested the will.*
- To compete for. *Four candidates contested the seat.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | contest | A close contest. |
| Verb | contest | Contest the ruling. |
| Person | contestant | The remaining contestants. |
| Adjective | contested | A hotly contested seat. |
| Adjective | uncontested | An uncontested divorce. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The contest ended in a draw.The noun.
- She contested the parking fine and won.The verb — disputed formally.
- The seat was uncontested.Only one candidate stood.
Contest, competition, tournament and dispute
- Contest — a single competition, or a formal challenge
- Competition — the activity, or the event, or the rivals themselves
- Tournament — a series of matches producing one winner
- Dispute — a disagreement, with no prize involved
- Challenge — a formal objection, or an invitation to compete
From Latin *contestari*, to call witnesses — from *com* and *testis*, a witness. A Roman lawsuit began by calling witnesses, so the word started in court and only later moved to the arena.
Where is the stress?
CON-test for the noun, con-TEST for the verb — the usual English pattern for such pairs.
What does contested mean in politics?
That more than one candidate is standing, or that the result is being formally disputed. Context decides which.