Dictionary.com

altercate

[ awl-ter-keyt ]
/ ˈɔl tərˌkeɪt /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for altercate on Thesaurus.com
verb (used without object), al·ter·cat·ed, al·ter·cat·ing.
to argue or quarrel with zeal, heat, or anger; wrangle.
QUIZ
WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?
Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!
Question 1 of 7
Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.
who
whom
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of altercate

1530–40; <Latin altercātus (past participle of altercārī to quarrel), equivalent to *alterc(us) a disputing (alter other + -cus formative suffix) + -ātus-ate1

Words nearby altercate

alter, alterable, alterant, alteration, alterative, altercate, altercation, altered chord, altered state of consciousness, alter ego, alter idem
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to altercate

contend, disagree, dispute, quarrel, quibble, squabble, spar, wrangle, bicker, scuffle, tussle, compete, defend, vie, answer, consider, contest, deliberate, oppose, question

How to use altercate in a sentence

  • As far as I can make out that means me and the rest of the battery altercate every other night.

    "That's me all over, Mable"|Edward Streeter

British Dictionary definitions for altercate

altercate
/ (ˈɔːltəˌkeɪt) /
verb
(intr) to argue, esp heatedly; dispute

Word Origin for altercate

C16: from Latin altercārī to quarrel with another, from alter other
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
FEEDBACK