confrontation

American  

[kon-fruhn-tey-shuhn, -fruhn-] / ˌkɒn frənˈteɪ ʃən, -frʌn- /

Rarely confrontal

noun

1. an act of confronting.

2. the state of being confronted.

3. a meeting of persons face to face.

4. an open conflict of opposing ideas, forces, etc.

5. a bringing together of ideas, themes, etc., for comparison.

6. Psychology. a technique used in group therapy, as in encounter groups, in which one is forced to recognize one's shortcomings and their possible consequences.

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confrontation British  

/ kɒnˈfrʌntmənt, ˌkɒnfrʌnˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or an instance of confronting

2. a situation of mutual hostility between two powers or nations without open warfare

3. a state of conflict between two antagonistic forces, creeds, or ideas etc

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Other Word Forms

• confrontational
  adjective
• nonconfrontation
  noun
• reconfrontation
  noun

Etymology

Origin of confrontation

First recorded in 1625–35; confront + -ation; compare Medieval Latin confrontātiō, French, Middle French confrontation

Explanation

A confrontation is an angry disagreement. You might become so irritated about your upstairs neighbor's loud, awful music that a confrontation is unavoidable. Confrontation implies hostility, although like a fight, a confrontation can involve actual violence, or just a clash of words. A confrontation often refers to a military encounter involving opposing armies. This meaning became popular after the Cuban missile crisis in 1963. Before that, confrontation was used to mean "bringing two opposing parties face to face," from the Latin word confrontationem.

Example Sentences

Encouraging winners to keep their speeches short, Dan said it was a "cruel joke that two Canadians have been put in charge of playing you off tonight", adding: "Confrontation in general is anxiety-inducing."

From BBC • Sep. 16, 2024

“That’s smart, because it allows her to get around a later Confrontation Clause objection if she tries to bring in their out-of-court statements,” Fleischman said.

From Salon • Nov. 15, 2023

Over those years, I researched and wrote a book on Project Confrontation, the campaign in the spring of 1963 in Birmingham, Ala., to break segregation once and for all or be broken by it.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2023

With one of his law partners, he also owned sailboats, including one named Confrontation.

From Washington Post • Aug. 25, 2022

Confrontation through direct action was just not the Durham way.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

Related Words

• battle
• contest
• crisis
• dispute
• encounter
• fight
• meeting
• showdown
• strife