bone of contention
4
5.2
- idiom
- Informal
- I do know, however, that the biggest bone of contention is the revenue split of so-called basketball-related income, or BRI.
- a major bone of contention
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Watch on YouTubeSo there, there is a bone of contention here between myself and my half brother.
- So there, there is a bone of contention here between myself and my half brother.
- Because the ring itself is kind of a bone of contention, right?
- And a big political bone of contention that you could be sent to America to face trial for your crimes in the US judicial system.
- So Euless is, well, it's a massive bone of contention for anyone that gives a shit about the poor because it's attacks on the poor.
- It's the main bone of contention between the hidebound halls and holds of the the crafts and the holders.
Examples
-
The size of the bilateral trade imbalance—$256.2 billion in 2007—has also been a bone of contention.
Academic text (2008) -
From 1947 to the present, Kashmir has been the bone of contention between Pakistan and India.
Academic text (2018) -
So there, there is a bone of contention here between myself and my half brother.
-
Accounting procedures were a major bone of contention.
Academic text (2005) -
The main bone of contention is that Republicans refuse to agree to any tax increases.
Blog text (25) -
Kashmir is the bone of contention in South Asia.
Academic text (2018) -
For years now, the focus of U.S. federal soil and water conservation programs has been a bone of contention among agro-environmentalists.
Academic text (1996) -
So it isn't surprising it has become a huge bone of contention.
Blog text (27) -
Another major bone of contention was Prime Minister Erdogan's willingness to compromise on the question of Cyprus.
Academic text (2007) -
The proposed budget cuts have become a bone of contention among the city council members.
Synonyms
∞
2.0
A formal discussion where opposing sides argue about a topic
687
2.3
A disagreement between people that is often angry
490
4.9
A long public disagreement that causes strong arguments between people
482
2.3
A serious disagreement between people or groups over ideas
345
3.0
A serious argument about something important that lasts a long time
231
1.6
A situation when people do not have the same opinion
37
3.5
A situation where two or more people disagree about something important
28
6.5
A strong disagreement between people or groups
21
6.4
An issue in talks that causes disagreement and stops progress
14
5.6
A difficult issue people try to avoid or pass to others
12
5.1
A topic that causes strong disagreement between people
3
3.4
A subject people often argue about
1
8.9
A thing that causes an argument between people
A topic that causes strong arguments and trouble
Antonyms
How Controversial
Surface Forms
Morphology
bone + of + contention
Given that 'contention' means a dispute and 'bone' can be understood metaphorically as an object over which people fight, a learner who knows both words can infer that 'bone of contention' denotes an issue that causes disagreement. The usage is metaphorical rather than literal (though similar metaphors exist in many languages), so the meaning is partly predictable but somewhat idiomatic.
Etymology
Bone of contention may come from the image of two animals fighting over a single bone. The contention, a 'fight' over that small thing, shows why the expression now means 'an issue that causes disagreement'.