CON

Con is a term used in several distinct ways in English, functioning as a short form, a noun, or an acronym in different domains. Its meaning depends on context, ranging from a side in an argument to a type of event and even to technical jargon.

In argumentation, con refers to the opposing side in a debate or analysis. It is commonly contrasted with pro, as in the phrase pros and cons, which lists favorable and unfavorable points about a topic.

In crime and deception, con is short for confidence trick or confidence game. A con artist is someone who uses manipulation and misrepresentation to obtain money or valuables by exploiting another’s trust.

In social and pop culture contexts, con is widely used as shorthand for convention or conference. Many fan and professional gatherings use Con as part of their name to indicate a large organized event, such as Comic-Con.

In computing, CON has a historical, platform-specific meaning as a reserved device name for the system console on certain operating systems. In Windows, for example, CON designates the console's input/output and cannot be used for ordinary files.

As a proper noun, Con appears as a surname or given name in some places. Overall, con is a polysemous term whose precise meaning is determined by explicit context.