Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Contender \Con*tend"er\, n.
   One who contends; a contestant.

Source : WordNet®

contender
     n : the contestant you hope to defeat; "he had respect for his
         rivals"; "he wanted to know what the competition was
         doing" [syn: {rival}, {challenger}, {competitor}, {competition}]