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narrative

Flag: gbEnglishMerriam-Webster Dictionary
History and Etymology
Middle English contencioun "dissension, dispute," borrowed from Anglo-French cuntençun, contencion, borrowed from Latin contentiōn-, contentiō "exertion, competition, conflict," from conten-, variant stem of contendere "to strain, make an effort, strive, compete" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at contend

NOTE: Regarding the variant -ten- with deverbal suffixes beginning in -t- (so contentiō rather than *contensiō), see note at tender entry 3.

contention
noun

Synonyms

con​tra​dic​to​ry
adjective
con·​tra·​dic·​to·​ry
ˌkän-trə-ˈdik-t(ə-)rē

Definition (Entry 1 of 2)

  • involving, causing, or constituting a contradiction //contradictory statements //The witnesses gave contradictory accounts of the accident.
noun
plural con​tra​dic​to​ries

Definition (Entry 2 of 2)

  • logic a proposition (see proposition entry 1 sense 2a) so related to another that if either of the two is true the other is false and if either is false the other must be true
Other Words
Adjective
  • con​tra​dic​to​ri​ly ˌkän-trə-ˈdik-t(ə-)rə-lē adverb
  • con​tra​dic​to​ri​ness ˌkän-trə-ˈdik-t(ə-)rē-nəs noun
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms: Adjective
antipodal antipodean antithetical contrary diametric (or diametrical) opposite polar
Antonyms: Adjective
noncontradictory
Examples
Adjective
  • //contradictory predictions regarding stock prices that were of no help to investors at all
First Known Use
Adjective
1656, in the meaning defined above
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined above
History and Etymology
Adjective
borrowed from Middle French & Late Latin; Middle French contraditoire, contradictoire, borrowed from Late Latin contrādictōrius, from Latin contrādic-, variant stem of contrādīcere "to speak against, object to" + -tōrius, deverbal adjective suffix originally forming derivatives from agent nouns ending in -tōr-, -tor — more at contradict
Noun
earlier, "contradictory proposition, inconsistency," going back to Middle English contradictorie, borrowed from Middle French & Late Latin; Middle French contradictoire, borrowed from Late Latin contrādictōria, noun derivative from feminine of contrādictōrius contradictory entry 1
contradictory
History and Etymology
Middle English contencioun "dissension, dispute," borrowed from Anglo-French cuntençun, contencion, borrowed from Latin contentiōn-, contentiō "exertion, competition, conflict," from conten-, variant stem of contendere "to strain, make an effort, strive, compete" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at contend

NOTE: Regarding the variant -ten- with deverbal suffixes beginning in -t- (so contentiō rather than *contensiō), see note at tender entry 3.

contention
noun

Synonyms

con​tra​dic​to​ry
adjective
con·​tra·​dic·​to·​ry
ˌkän-trə-ˈdik-t(ə-)rē

Definition (Entry 1 of 2)

  • involving, causing, or constituting a contradiction //contradictory statements //The witnesses gave contradictory accounts of the accident.
noun
plural con​tra​dic​to​ries

Definition (Entry 2 of 2)

  • logic a proposition (see proposition entry 1 sense 2a) so related to another that if either of the two is true the other is false and if either is false the other must be true
Other Words
Adjective
  • con​tra​dic​to​ri​ly ˌkän-trə-ˈdik-t(ə-)rə-lē adverb
  • con​tra​dic​to​ri​ness ˌkän-trə-ˈdik-t(ə-)rē-nəs noun
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms: Adjective
antipodal antipodean antithetical contrary diametric (or diametrical) opposite polar
Antonyms: Adjective
noncontradictory
Examples
Adjective
  • //contradictory predictions regarding stock prices that were of no help to investors at all
First Known Use
Adjective
1656, in the meaning defined above
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined above
History and Etymology
Adjective
borrowed from Middle French & Late Latin; Middle French contraditoire, contradictoire, borrowed from Late Latin contrādictōrius, from Latin contrādic-, variant stem of contrādīcere "to speak against, object to" + -tōrius, deverbal adjective suffix originally forming derivatives from agent nouns ending in -tōr-, -tor — more at contradict
Noun
earlier, "contradictory proposition, inconsistency," going back to Middle English contradictorie, borrowed from Middle French & Late Latin; Middle French contradictoire, borrowed from Late Latin contrādictōria, noun derivative from feminine of contrādictōrius contradictory entry 1
contradictory
History and Etymology
Middle English contencioun "dissension, dispute," borrowed from Anglo-French cuntençun, contencion, borrowed from Latin contentiōn-, contentiō "exertion, competition, conflict," from conten-, variant stem of contendere "to strain, make an effort, strive, compete" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at contend

NOTE: Regarding the variant -ten- with deverbal suffixes beginning in -t- (so contentiō rather than *contensiō), see note at tender entry 3.

contention
noun

Synonyms

con​tra​dic​to​ry
adjective
con·​tra·​dic·​to·​ry
ˌkän-trə-ˈdik-t(ə-)rē

Definition (Entry 1 of 2)

  • involving, causing, or constituting a contradiction //contradictory statements //The witnesses gave contradictory accounts of the accident.
noun
plural con​tra​dic​to​ries

Definition (Entry 2 of 2)

  • logic a proposition (see proposition entry 1 sense 2a) so related to another that if either of the two is true the other is false and if either is false the other must be true
Other Words
Adjective
  • con​tra​dic​to​ri​ly ˌkän-trə-ˈdik-t(ə-)rə-lē adverb
  • con​tra​dic​to​ri​ness ˌkän-trə-ˈdik-t(ə-)rē-nəs noun
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms: Adjective
antipodal antipodean antithetical contrary diametric (or diametrical) opposite polar
Antonyms: Adjective
noncontradictory
Examples
Adjective
  • //contradictory predictions regarding stock prices that were of no help to investors at all
First Known Use
Adjective
1656, in the meaning defined above
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined above
History and Etymology
Adjective
borrowed from Middle French & Late Latin; Middle French contraditoire, contradictoire, borrowed from Late Latin contrādictōrius, from Latin contrādic-, variant stem of contrādīcere "to speak against, object to" + -tōrius, deverbal adjective suffix originally forming derivatives from agent nouns ending in -tōr-, -tor — more at contradict
Noun
earlier, "contradictory proposition, inconsistency," going back to Middle English contradictorie, borrowed from Middle French & Late Latin; Middle French contradictoire, borrowed from Late Latin contrādictōria, noun derivative from feminine of contrādictōrius contradictory entry 1
contradictory