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The principles of a political party in England (1838-48), which contended for universal suffrage, the vote by ballot, annual parliaments, equal electoral districts, and other radical reforms, as set forth in a document called the People's Charter.

To utter words of disapprobation and displeasure; to find fault; to contend angrily. Wherefore the people did chide with Moses. Ex. xvii. 2.

Opposition; contradiction; as between differing or contending interests, views, purposes, etc. Clashes between popes and kings. Denham.

To struggle or contend, as with an opposing force; to fight. To combat with a blind man I disdain. Milton. After the fall of the republic, the Romans combated only for the choice of masters. Gibbon.

Contending; disposed to contend. B. Jonson.

The quality of being combative; propensity to contend or to quarrel.

To contend emulously; to seek or strive for the same thing, position, or reward for which another is striving; to contend in rivalry, as for a prize or in business; as, tradesmen compete with one another. The rival statesmen, with eyes fixed on America, were all the while competing for European alliances. Bancroft.…

The act or state of suffering persecution for religious faith. Our duty to contend even to confessorship. J. H. Newman.

To maintain a conflict; to contend; to engage in strife or opposition; to struggle.

Being in conflict or collision, or in opposition; contending; contradictory; incompatible; contrary; opposing.

ent taken in its support; the subject matter of discussion of strife; a position taken or contended for. All men seem agreed what is to be done; the contention is how the subject is to be divided and defined. Bagehot. This was my original contention, and I still maintain that you should abide by your former decision. J…

To make a subject of dispute, contention, litigation, or emulation; to contend for; to call in question; to controvert; to oppose; to dispute. The people . . . contested not what was done. Locke. Few philosophical aphorisms have been more frequenty repeated, few more contested than this. J. D. Morell.…

In a contending manner.

To make matter of controversy; to dispute or oppose by reasoning; to contend against in words or writings; to contest; to debate. Some controverted points had decided according to the sense of the best jurists. Macaulay.

nter into or maintain a hostile contest; to struggle; to combat; especially, to strive or contend on equal terms or with success; to match; to equal; -- usually followed by with. Host coped with host, dire was the din of war. Philips. Their generals have not been able to cope with the troops of Athens. Addison.…

To contend (with); to treat (with), by way of opposition, check, or correction; as, he has turbulent passions to deal with. To deal by, to treat, either well or ill; as, to deal well by servants. "Such an one deals not fairly by his own mind." Locke. -- To deal in. (a) To have to do with; to be engaged in; to practice…

To contend for in words or arguments; to strive to maintain by reasoning; to dispute; to contest; to discuss; to argue for and against. A wise council . . . that did debate this business. Shak. Debate thy cause with thy neighbor himself. Prov. xxv. 9.

To have a difference, cause of variance, or quarrel; to dispute; to contend. We 'll never differ with a crowded pit. Rowe.

To fight like gladiators; to contend fiercely; to dispute violently. [Obs.] Digladiating like Æschines and Demosthenes. Hales.

To contend in argument; to argue against something maintained, upheld, or claimed, by another; to discuss; to reason; to debate; to altercate; to wrangle. Therefore disputed [reasoned, Rev. Ver .] he in synagogue with the Jews. Acts xvii. 17.