contested

American  

[kuhn-tes-tid] / kənˈtɛs tɪd /

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.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of contest.

Other Word Forms

• uncontested adjective
• uncontestedly adverb
• well-contested adjective

Etymology

Origin of contested

contest ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Explanation

Something that's contested is argued over or questioned. Contested election results may need to be re-counted, since the two sides can't agree on their validity. Controversial and contentious issues — like debated topics or lawsuits — are often described as "hotly contested," or energetically argued over. Elections, community issues, sporting matches, and scientific ideas are all frequently contested. The word has been used since the 1770s to describe political elections in the US, and it comes from the Latin word contestari, "to call to witness or bring action."

Example Sentences

“It came down to contested threes and not a lot of good possessions for us... in the end No.30 did what 30 does,” he said, referring to Curry.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

Ukraine has shown what war looks like from a more vulnerable position, when that strength is contested at scale.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

They load onto tankers at Houston and Corpus Christi in Texas “without crossing contested waters.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026

The company had planned to sell the two contested ports as part of a $23 billion deal to a group that includes BlackRock.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

A couple months ago, Lisa Edwards, over by Cow Creek, got her claim contested by a neighbor.

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson

Related Words

• debated