The word 抗争 is formed by combining two characters, each contributing a core action to create a unified concept. The first character, 抗 (kàng), carries the meaning of resisting or opposing, like pushing against a force. The second, 争 (zhēng), means to strive, contend, or fight for something. When fused, they do not simply list two actions; instead, they merge into a single, more powerful notion of actively struggling against something in order to strive for an alternative, embodying the idea of a resistive fight or defiant struggle for a cause.