Etymologically
Log in

contender

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 26 October 2026 at 03:30. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • US: /kənˈtɛn.dɚ/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from English contend + -er.[2][3][4] The verb contend is from Old French contendre and directly Latin contendō (“to stretch out; strive after; vie with, fight”),[3][2] from com- and tendō (“to stretch, strain, strive”),[3][2] from Proto-Indo-European *ten- (“to stretch”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Someone who contends or is given to contention; a combatant, rival or disputant: 1547, in the Certain Sermons or Homilies.[2][5] Etymonline dates it to the 1540s.[3]

Semantic evolution

Johnson (1755) defined it as "combatant; champion", quoting Locke and Watts for people on either side of a dispute.[4] Etymonline glosses it as a combatant or a disputer.[3] The usual modern sense is a contestant, especially for a championship or a high honour.[5]

Timeline

  • 1547 – one who contends, a combatant or rival.[2][5]
  • 1755 – Johnson's Dictionary: combatant, champion.[4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A contestant or competitor, especially for a championship or a high honour: She was the strongest contender for the title.[5]
  2. Someone who contends or argues; a combatant or rival.[2][3][4]

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d Johnson, Samuel (1755), A Dictionary of the English Language, London; 4th ed. 1773; Johnson's Dictionary Online, ed. Beth Rapp Young et al.
  5. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster