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Fighting vs Contention - What's the difference?

fighting | contention | Related terms |

As nouns the difference between fighting and contention

is that fighting is a fight or battle; an occasion on which people fight while contention is struggle, contest, strife, argument, debate.

As a verb fighting

is present participle of lang=en.

As an adjective fighting

is engaged in war or other conflict.

fighting

English

Verb

(head)
  • Derived terms

    * fighting chance

    Adjective

    (head)
  • Engaged in war or other conflict.
  • Apt to provoke a fight.
  • * 1925 April 11, "Books", in , page 26:
  • It seems like a fighting insult, but he explains.
  • * 1947 , (film):
  • Them's fighting words in my country!
  • * 2003 , Marjorie Kelly, The Divine Right of Capital: Dethroning the Corporate Aristocracy , Berrett-Koehler Publishers, ISBN 1576752372, page xi:
  • Those are fighting words, of course, and the people who presently hold the high ground of economic power in society will not be amused.

    Derived terms

    * fighting words

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A fight or battle; an occasion on which people fight
  • * {{quote-book, year=1613, author=, title=A Collection Of Old English Plays, Vol. IV., chapter=The Costlie Whore, edition= citation
  • , passage=Then here the warres end, here[206] our fightings marde, Yet by your leave Ile stand upon my Guard. '' }}
  • * {{quote-book, year=1840, author=Thomas Carlyle, title=On Heroes and Hero Worship and the Heroic in History, chapter=, edition= citation
  • , passage=Seid had fallen in the War of Tabuc, the first of Mahomet's fightings with the Greeks. }}
  • * {{quote-book, year=1860, author=John Yeardley, title=Memoir and Diary of John Yeardley, Minister of the Gospel, chapter=, edition= citation
  • , passage=A good many soldiers, and some officers, were present; but the expression of our dissent from all wars and fightings had not displeased them, for they shook hands with US most kindly. }}

    Descendants

    * Korean: (hwaiting)

    contention

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • struggle, contest, strife, argument, debate
  • A point maintained in an argument, or a line of argument taken in its support; the subject matter of discussion of strife; a position taken or contended for.
  • It is my contention that state lotteries are taxes on stupid people.
  • (computing, telecommunications) Competition by parts of a system or its users for a limited resource.
  • Synonyms

    * gainstrife, (l), wrangling

    Derived terms

    * bone of contention