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Contends vs Compete - What's the difference?

contends | compete |

As verbs the difference between contends and compete

is that contends is (contend) while compete is .

contends

English

Verb

(head)
  • (contend)

  • contend

    English

    (Webster 1913)

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • to strive in opposition; to contest; to dispute; to vie; to quarrel; to fight.
  • * Bible, Deuteronomy ii. 9
  • The Lord said unto me, Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle.
  • * Shakespeare
  • For never two such kingdoms did contend without much fall of blood.
  • to struggle or exert one's self to obtain or retain possession of, or to defend.
  • * Dryden
  • You sit above, and see vain men below / Contend for what you only can bestow.
  • to strive in debate; to engage in discussion; to dispute; to argue.
  • * John Locke
  • The question which our author would contend for.
  • * Dr H. More
  • Many things he fiercely contended about were trivial.

    Synonyms

    * struggle, fight, combat, vie, strive, oppose, emulate, contest, litigate, dispute, debate

    compete

    English

    (Webster 1913)

    Verb

  • To contend emulously; to seek or strive for the same thing, position, or reward for which another is striving; to contend in rivalry, as for a prize or in business; as, tradesmen compete with one another.
  • Usage notes

    A person will compete for'' a prize received for winning a competition. Two or more persons ''compete against'' one another if they are rivals. Two or more persons can ''compete with'' each other as teammates, however ''compete with'' is also used to indicate two persons ''competing against each other.

    Derived terms

    * competitor * competition * noncompete