Contest and contest are two words that are spelled identically but are pronounced differently and have different meanings, which makes them heteronyms. We will examine the definitions of the words contest and contest, where these words came from, and a few examples of their use in sentences.
Contest (KAHN test) is a competition. A contest may involve sports, academics, a business or political position, or anything for which two or more people may vie for supremacy. Contest is a noun. The word contest is derived from the verb, contest, and first appears in the 1600s.
Contest (cuhn TEST) is a verb to that means to compete, to dispute, or to oppose; related words are contests, contested, contesting. The word contest is derived from the Latin word, contestari, which means calling witnesses.
Examples
Days before the recent Golden Globes, best supporting actress nominee Glenn Close took to Instagram to tease a contest for her half a million followers. (Hollywood Reporter)
“Our main goal was to show nonscientific muggles that science can be fun, silly, and exciting,” says contest winner Jakub Kubečka, who was inspired to participate in the competition after a friend was a finalist a few years ago. (Science Magazine)
As Republicans in Congress prepare to formally contest the outcome of the 2020 presidential election on Wednesday, many of them have cited precedent for their effort: similar complaints lodged by Democrats in other presidential elections. (New York Times)
She dropped her plans to contest the results shortly after the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. (Atlanta Journal Constitution)