conflict

American  

[kuhn-flikt, kon-flikt] / kənˈflɪkt, ˈkɒn flɪkt /

verb (used without object)

conflicts, present (3rd person singular) conflicted, past participle, past conflicting present participle

1. to come into collision or disagreement; be contradictory, at variance, or in opposition; clash.

   The account of one eyewitness conflicted with that of the other. My class conflicts with my going to the concert.

   Synonyms:

   oppose, collide

2. to fight or contend; do battle.

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noun

1. a fight, battle, or struggle, especially a prolonged struggle; strife.

   Synonyms:

   siege, encounter

2. controversy; quarrel.

   conflicts between parties.

   Antonyms:

   accord

3. discord of action, feeling, or effect; antagonism or opposition, as of interests or principles.

   a conflict of ideas.

   Synonyms:

   opposition, contention

4. a striking together; collision.

5. incompatibility or interference, as of one idea, desire, event, or activity with another.

   a conflict in the schedule.

6. Psychiatry. a mental struggle arising from opposing demands or impulses.

conflict British  

noun

1. a struggle or clash between opposing forces; battle

2. a state of opposition between ideas, interests, etc; disagreement or controversy

3. a clash, as between two appointments made for the same time

4. psychol opposition between two simultaneous but incompatible wishes or drives, sometimes leading to a state of emotional tension and thought to be responsible for neuroses

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verb

1. to come into opposition; clash

2. to fight

Synonym Usage

See fight.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• preconflict
  noun
• nonconflictive
  adjective
• unconflictive
  adjective
• confliction
  noun
• conflictory
  adjective
• conflictive
  adjective
• self-conflict
  noun
• preconflict
  verb (used without object)

Conjugated Forms

Present

• has conflicted
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have conflicted
  perfect
• is conflicting
  progressive 3rd person singular
• has been conflicting
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• are conflicting
  progressive
• have been conflicting
  perfect progressive
• conflicting
  participle
• am conflicting
  progressive 1st person singular
• conflicts
  singular 3rd person

Past

• had conflicted
  perfect
• was conflicting
  progressive singular
• were conflicting
  progressive plural
• had been conflicting
  perfect progressive
• conflicted
  simple
• conflicted
  participle

Future

• will conflict
  simple
• will have conflicted
  perfect
• will have been conflicting
  perfect progressive
• will be conflicting
  progressive

Etymology

Origin of conflict

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English (noun), from Latin conflīctus “a striking together,” equivalent to conflīg(ere) “to strike together, contend” ( con- con- + flīgere “to strike”) + -tus suffix of verb action; (verb) from Latin conflīctus, past participle of conflīgere, or by verb use of the noun

Explanation

A conflict is a struggle or an opposition. If you and your best friend both fall in love with the same person, you will have to find some way to resolve the conflict. Conflict comes from the Latin word for striking, but it isn't always violent. Conflict can arise from opposing ideas. If you want to turn your empty lot into a community garden but your wife envisions a shooting range, you have a conflict. If you're torn between two different desires, you're conflicted. Conflict can also be a verb. If you schedule a dentist appointment that conflicts with a meeting, you'll have to cancel one of them.

Example Sentences

Conflict and displacement in eastern Congo severely constrain efforts to contain the outbreak, which has spread to Uganda.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026

Conflict monitors, now watching with alarm as Islamist militants capture territory and stage attacks in Mali, urge the administration to pay closer attention to the restive Sahel region and other hot spots.

From Salon • May 19, 2026

Conflict in the Middle East has pushed up oil prices in recent weeks, highlighting the risks of dependence on fossil fuels and bringing questions of energy security back into focus.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

Conflict in the Middle East, as well as recent signs of a weakening labor market, have only exacerbated those concerns.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

Vogue wanted Daoud in Libya next week for their "Urban Conflict" campaign.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda

Related Words

• battle
• clash
• combat
• competition
• rivalry
• strife
• struggle
• war