contención

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kontenˈθjon/ [kõn̪.t̪ẽn̟ˈθjõn] (Equatorial Guinea, Spain)
• IPA^(key): /kontenˈsjon/ [kõn̪.t̪ẽnˈsjõn] (Latin America, Philippines)
• Rhymes: -on
• Syllabification: con‧ten‧ción

Etymology 1

From contener +‎ -ción.

Noun

contención f (plural contenciones)

1. act of holding back
2. self-control

   Synonyms: autocontrol, autodominio

Related terms

• contener

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Latin contentiōnem.

Noun

contención f (plural contenciones)

1. contention
2. argument, debate

   Synonym: pelea

3. dispute

   Synonym: disputa

Related terms

• contender

Further reading

• “contención”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025