English → Latin
“contest” in Latin
impugnōto attack, fight against; to impugn, assailoppugnōto attack, assault, storm, besiegeaddūcōto lead, bring, draw or convey to or to oneself; to prompt, induce, cause; to persuade, moveperdūcōto lead, conduct, convey, carry, guide or bring through or to a place; deliver; to spread over, bedaub, coat, besmear; tdēdūcōto lead or bring out or away, divert; escort, accompany, conduct (out of one's house as a mark of respect or for protectcontrōversiaa quarrel, dispute, debate; lawsuit; contradictioncertātiōstriving, strife, combatcontentiōstretching, tension; competition, rivalry; struggle, effort
The English word contest itself goes back to Latin testis, through contestor.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
contest v.
impugnare: oppugnare (to attack an opinion): aliquid in controversiam vocare, adducere, or perducere (to call it into controversy). To contest a point with anybody, contendere cum aliquo de aliqua re: to contest every thing, contra omnia disserere: to contest anybody’s opinion, alicujus opinioni repugnare: to be contested, in contentionem venire; in controversiam vocari, adduci, deduci; in disceptationem vocari.
[Vid. Vie with][Vid. Vie with].
contest s.
With weapons [Vid: COMBAT].
With words, [Vid. DISPUTE, CONTENTION]: to enter into a contest with anybody, certamen cum aliquo instituere: a contest arises, oritur certamen or controversia: to engage in a contest in certamen descendere, with anybody, cum aliquo: to be involved in a contest with, etc., venire in certamen cum aliquo. I have a contest with anybody, est mihi certamen or certatio or contentio or controversia cum aliquo: habeo contentionem or aliquid contentionis cum aliquo: habeo controversiam cum aliquo (general term). They are engaged in a contest with each other respecting some property, est inter eos de possessione contentio. I have a contest with anybody about anything, est mihi controversia alicujus rei cum aliquo: habeo controversiam cum aliquo de aliqua re: litigo cum aliquo de aliqua re: to terminate a contest (by an arrangement, etc.), controversiam componere or dirimere or sedare: the interference of the consuls put an end to the contest, intercursu consulum rixa sedata est: to decide a contest, dijudicare controversiam. IMPROP., certatio (e.g. virtutis cum voluptate): there can be no contest between the useful and the good, utilia cum honestis pugnare non possunt: a contest against lust is no easy matter, cupiditatibus resistere difficile est: the contest of the elements, pugna rerum naturae secum.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for contest?
- The usual Latin words for “contest” are impugnō, oppugnō, addūcō; also perdūcō, dēdūcō, contrōversia. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.