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

No other details on the collision were available.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026

Piastri might still have held the lead, but for a collision with Carlos Sainz as he lapped his Williams.

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

The walk in was a collision of cultures that seemed to enjoy each other.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

The African and Arabian plates were moving northward during the final stage of their collision with Asia.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026

A blaze of connection—or collision, as though they had long been wandering in the same labyrinth and had finally rounded the corner that would bring them face-to-face.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

And - along with e-bikes - they can end up involved in collisions where pedestrians are hurt.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

E-bike riders were involved in at least 4,035 collisions in California from 2018 to 2024.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

Critics also doubt that the systems do much to reduce collisions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

The agency said its examination hasn’t shown an increased risk of midair collisions there, but it is working with industry groups on further analysis.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

It is not clear how much Randall had anticipated future collisions when he suggested a project to Franklin.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee