Combat versus Contest

Is there any difference between combat and contest?

Yes, there is difference between them. One is unfriendly and second is friendly.

What is the meaning of combat ?

Combat means fighting between two or more than two in a war.

As a verb combat means to fight against enemy.

1. The forces are combating the terrorist for days.
2. They were killed in combat.

What is the meaning of contest ?

As a noun, contest means a competition  in which people try to win something.

As a verb, contest means to take part in a competition in order to win something, like position, cash, prize, etc.

1. He hopes to win the contest for PM.
2. She won the contest for best photograph.

Other meaning of combat and contest:-

According to Oxford:- Combat something means to stop something unpleasant or harmful from happening or form getting worse.

1. Our government should take measures to combat unemployment.
2. Our doctors successfully combat corona virus.

 

According to Oxford:- Contest something means to formally oppose a decision or statement because you think it is wrong.

1. The losing candidate is contesting the results of the election.

What is the difference between combat and contest ?

A contest is like a test or a game to determine who is at top. It is like a competition where friends or neutrals compete with each other. Here no weapon is involved.

A combat is like a fight between two people or groups of people who are enemies. It is a fight between two enemies. Here deadly weapons are involved.

Combat comes from com - "together with"  and bat (battere) - "to fight".

In a nutshell

Contest is a fight between two friends where weapons are not involved.

Combat is a fight between two enemies where weapons are involved.

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