altercate vs contend

altercate and contend both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
altercate	No	No	Yes	No
contend	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, contend is a hypernym of altercate; that is, contend is a word with a broader meaning than altercate:

Other hypernyms of altercate include argue, debate, fence.

altercate (verb)	contend (verb)
have a disagreement over something	to make the subject of dispute, contention, or litigation
	have an argument about something
	maintain or assert
	compete for something; engage in a contest; measure oneself against others
	be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight
	succeed in doing, achieving, or producing (something) with the limited or inadequate means available