The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Contend \Con*tend"\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Contended; p. pr. &
   vb. n. Contending.] [OF. contendre, L. contendere, -tentum;
   con- + tendere to strech. See Tend.]
   1. To strive in opposition; to contest; to dispute; to vie;
      to quarrel; to fight.
      [1913 Webster]

            For never two such kingdoms did contend
            Without much fall of blood.           --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

            The Lord said unto me, Distress not the Moabites,
            neither contend with them in battle.  --Deut. ii. 9.
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            In ambitious strength I did
            Contend against thy valor.            --Shak.
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   2. To struggle or exert one's self to obtain or retain
      possession of, or to defend.
      [1913 Webster]

            You sit above, and see vain men below
            Contend for what you only can bestow. --Dryden.
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   3. To strive in debate; to engage in discussion; to dispute;
      to argue.
      [1913 Webster]

            The question which our author would contend for.
                                                  --Locke.
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            Many things he fiercely contended about were
            trivial.                              --Dr. H. More.

   Syn: To struggle; fight; combat; vie; strive; oppose;
        emulate; contest; litigate; dispute; debate.
        [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Contend \Con*tend"\, v. t.
   To struggle for; to contest. [R.]
   [1913 Webster]

         Carthage shall contend the world with Rome.Dryden.
   [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

contend
    v 1: maintain or assert; "He contended that Communism had no
         future" [syn: contend, postulate]
    2: have an argument about something [syn: argue, contend,
       debate, fence]
    3: to make the subject of dispute, contention, or litigation;
       "They contested the outcome of the race" [syn: contest,
       contend, repugn]
    4: come to terms with; "We got by on just a gallon of gas";
       "They made do on half a loaf of bread every day" [syn:
       cope, get by, make out, make do, contend,
       grapple, deal, manage]
    5: compete for something; engage in a contest; measure oneself
       against others [syn: compete, vie, contend]
    6: be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight; "the tribesmen
       fought each other"; "Siblings are always fighting"; "Militant
       groups are contending for control of the country" [syn:
       contend, fight, struggle]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

181 Moby Thesaurus words for "contend":
   affirm, agonize, allege, announce, annunciate, antagonize, argue,
   argufy, assert, assever, asseverate, aver, avouch, avow,
   bandy words, battle, beat against, beat up against, bicker,
   bicker over, box, brawl, breast the wave, broil, brook no denial,
   buck, buffet, buffet the waves, bump heads, cavil, charge,
   choplogic, claim, clash, close, close with, collide, combat,
   come to blows, compete with, confront, contend about,
   contend against, contest, contrapose, contraposit, contrast,
   cope with, counteract, cross swords, cut and thrust, declare,
   defend, dictate, discept, dispute, duel, encounter, enjoin,
   enunciate, exchange blows, express, face, fence, feud, fight,
   fight a duel, fight against, fight over, front, give and take,
   give satisfaction, grapple, grapple with, grunt and sweat, hassle,
   have, have it out, hold, huff and puff, insist, insist on,
   insist upon, issue a manifesto, join battle with, join issue,
   jostle, joust, justify, labor against, lay down, lie opposite,
   lock horns, logomachize, maintain, manifesto, match, meet,
   meet head-on, militate against, mix it up, moot, offer resistance,
   oppose, oppugn, persist, pettifog, plead, polarize, polemicize,
   polemize, pose against, predicate, prescribe, press, proclaim,
   profess, pronounce, protest, put, put in opposition, put it,
   quarrel, quarrel over, quibble, rassle, reluct, reluctate, report,
   resist, riot, rival, run a tilt, say, scramble, scuffle, set down,
   set over against, skirmish, spar, speak, speak out, speak up,
   squabble over, stand, stand for, stand on, stand opposed,
   stand opposite, state, stem the tide, stick to, strive,
   strive against, struggle, struggle against, submit, subtend,
   take issue with, take no denial, take on, take sides, tell,
   thrash out, thrust and parry, tilt, tourney, try conclusions, tug,
   tussle, urge, vie, vie with, vindicate, wage war, war, warrant,
   withstand, wrangle, wrangle over, wrestle