Definition of "agon" []

• A conflict, especially between the protagonist and antagonist in a work of literature. (noun)
• The part of an ancient Greek drama, especially a comedy, in which two characters engage in verbal dispute. (noun)
• A test of will; a conflict: "Freud's originality stemmed from his aggression and ambition in his agon with biology” ( Harold Bloom). (noun)
• A contest in ancient Greece, as in athletics or music, in which prizes were awarded. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "What you describe correspond to what Caillois called "agon," or directly competitive games."
• "The [Greek: "agon"] of the Greeks is also manifested in the Symposium in the shape of witty conversation."
• "In one potentially worrisome sign, however, bond yields from financially stressed governments rose agon."