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.

---

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

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• anticollision
  adjective
• collisional
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• collisions
  plural

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

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

A thrilling playoff game versus Milwaukee turns on a collision between a possible home run and the roof.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

The National Transportation Safety Board report, released Tuesday, said the Airbus AS350 B2 helicopter maneuvered above a collision involving an SUV and an L.A.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

According to the suit, the issues led to at least one collision and two train breakdowns that stranded hundreds of travelers in the heat.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

"However, if the remnant of the collision is a magnetar, it could keep bursting for longer," said Prof. Troja, who is part of the Einstein Probe European collaboration and co-corresponding author of the paper.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 30, 2026

But chemists do not assign a purpose or function to a collision of two gas molecules, nor do they seek an ultimate cause for the collision.

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

Students are also instructed to slow down when driving near donkeys as collisions can cause injury or even death to humans and animals.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

"Sometimes when we are lucky, one of these collisions creates a Z boson and a quark, with high momentum."

From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026

Nearly 300 people are killed every year in traffic crashes in the city, with speed serving as the leading factor in the collisions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

Astronomers have long relied on brief bursts of gamma rays to identify collisions between neutron stars.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 30, 2026

I’ve never heard of roller Frisbee and imagine all sorts of collisions and skinned knees.

From "Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun" by Hena Khan