collision

American  

[kuh-lizh-uhn] / kəˈlɪʒ ən /

noun

• collisions
  plural

1. 

   the act of colliding; a coming violently into contact; crash.

   the collision of two airplanes.

2. a clash; conflict.

   a collision of purposes.

3. Physics. the meeting of particles or of bodies in which each exerts a force upon the other, causing the exchange of energy or momentum.

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collision British  

/ kəˈlɪʒən /

noun

1. a violent impact of moving objects; crash

2. the conflict of opposed ideas, wishes, attitudes, etc

   a collision of interests

3. physics an event in which two or more bodies or particles come together with a resulting change of direction and, normally, energy

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• anticollision
  adjective
• collisional
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• collisions
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of collision

1400–50; late Middle English < Late Latin collīsiōn- (stem of collīsiō ), equivalent to collīs ( us ) (past participle of collīdere to collide ) + -iōn- -ion

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Explanation

A collision is when two or more things smash together. You shouldn't give yourself a pedicure while driving because it might result in a collision, wrecking your car and spoiling your toenail polish to boot. Collision comes from the Latin col-, "together," and lædĕre, "to hurt by striking." When a train hits a car, that's a collision. An asteroid hurtling toward earth is on a "collision course" with our planet. Collision also works for abstract conflicts that get violent or hurt your brain somehow, like the collision between two politicians during a debate, or the collision of colors in your outfit.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

collision collisions

In some areas, such as collision repair and auto refinishing, that figure is even higher, at 19%.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

There was another safety car with 12 laps to go when Arvid Lindblad crashed his Racing Bulls after a collision with McLaren's Oscar Piastri.

From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026

As the African and Arabian tectonic plates traveled northward and approached the final stages of their collision with Asia, the connections between these landmasses began to change.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2026

Asked about the collision of styles that marked his restaurant interiors, Overton once explained it this way: “I wanted something timeless.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026

Just at this moment Stuart heard a splintering crash, saw the bow of the Lillian plow through his rigging, and felt the whole ship tremble from stem to stern with the force of the collision.

From "Stuart Little" by E.B. White

This suggests that collisions may have altered their surfaces much less than expected.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 2, 2026

Another is that their surfaces somehow retain their original compositions even after collisions.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 2, 2026

Other research has shown permanent daylight saving could lead to more vehicle collisions with pedestrians because of darker morning commutes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2026

Scientists have previously observed jet quenching in collisions involving much larger atomic nuclei at RHIC, a U.S.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 31, 2026

These were the main factors tipping the outcome of the post-Columbian collisions.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

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