contention
n. C / Un. a strong disagreement or an argument between people. It can also mean a point or idea that someone argues is true.
n. a state of discord or heated disagreement; alternatively, an assertion or claim maintained in an argument.
The new law is a major point of contention between the two parties.
The main point of contention during the meeting was how to distribute the remaining budget among the departments.
Her central contention is that the current economic model fails to account for environmental degradation, a claim that sparked significant debate among the panel of experts.
From Middle English contencion, borrowed from Old French contencion, from Latin contentio, contentionem, from contendō (past participle contentus); equivalent to contend + -tion (similar formation to attention).
Uncountable when referring to the state of arguing ('in contention'); countable when referring to a specific claim or point of argument.