contested

[ kuhn-tes-tid ]

adjective

1. battled; fought:

   Bates pulled off the win, 82–79, in a tightly contested matchup.

2. involving a disagreement or dispute:

   The waiting period for a contested divorce has been reduced to 12 months.

3. being fought over; in dispute:

   The contested land is located 30 kilometers south of the city.

   At times, the parties may not come to an agreement, or they may only agree on some of the contested issues.

4. involving more than one candidate:

   Congressional redistricting and a contested Senate seat led to a series of competitive Michigan primaries on Tuesday.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of contest ( def ).

Other Words From

• un·con·test·ed adjective
• un·con·test·ed·ly adverb
• well-con·test·ed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of contested¹

contest ( def ) + -ed ²( def )

Example Sentences

Secondly, contested notions of fairness are so often central to the most contentious political arguments, and this one is no different.

From BBC

Venezuelan authorities have released more than 100 people arrested following July's contested presidential election, according to a local rights group.

From BBC

The Brazilian government believes the January 2023 riots were part of a coup attempt orchestrated by Bolsonaro following his defeat in a tightly contested presidential election the previous October.

From BBC

Many of those claims are contested by environmentalists.

From BBC

House of Representatives next year after defeating Democrat Will Rollins, a former federal prosecutor, in a hotly contested race to represent a Riverside County swing district.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• debated