# bone of contention

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/bone-of-contention
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Something that continues to be disputed; something on which no agreement can be reached.

## Examples

- Money is always a bone of contention in their family.
- The old parking space has been a bone of contention between the two neighbors for years.
- The proposed highway, cutting through protected woodland, became a bone of contention that divided the town council and dominated every local election thereafter.

## Origin

A reference to two dogs fighting over the same bone.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.