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no contest. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
no contest, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
no contest in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
no contest you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Etymology
Calque of Latin nolō contendere (“I don't want to contest”).
Noun
no contest (uncountable)
- (US, law) A plea in a criminal case which means that the defendant admits no guilt but is no longer contesting the charges brought against him/her.
- Synonym: nolo contendere
- (US, law) A clause in a will that imposes a penalty of forfeiture against any beneficiary who challenges the will.
2021, Susan F. French, A California Companion for the Course in Wills, Trusts, and Estates:No contest clauses are valid in California and are favored by the public policies of discouraging litigation and giving effect to the settlor's expressed purposes.
- (boxing, historical) The result of a boxing bout, promoted as an exhibition when the sport of boxing was illegal, when a knockout did not occur.
- (boxing) A bout that the referee cancels early, either due to a serious injury early in the fight or due to a lack of action
- An election in which the candidate runs unopposed.
Interjection
no contest (informal)
(The addition of quotations indicative of this usage is being sought:)
- Used to indicate that a competition or comparison is one-sided and so its outcome is too obvious to be interesting.
- Synonym: no comparison
- (emphatic) Expresses lack of doubt (i.e., certainty) in a choice between options or preferences.
I'll take a Porsche, no contest!
Phrase
no contest
- Indicates the perceived lack of any real competition because the “winner” or superior choice is obvious.
2000 November 5, Peter M. Nichols, “HOLIDAY FILMS; Studios Move Slowly With DVD Boxed Sets”, in The New York Times:To all the things DVD does better than the videocassette, add the boxed set. In looks alone there is no contest.
Usage notes
Usually in the phrase “there is(/was) no contest”.
Synonyms
Further reading