definitions

conflict

[ verb kuhn-flikt; noun kon-flikt ]
/ verb kənˈflɪkt; noun ˈkɒn flɪkt /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR conflict ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object)

to come into collision or disagreement; be contradictory, at variance, or in opposition; clash: The account of one eyewitness conflicted with that of the other. My class conflicts with my going to the concert.
to fight or contend; do battle.

noun

RELATED CONTENT

5 Important Historical Events That Changed LanguageMajor events in history have not only changed the world in significant ways, but they have also transformed the ways we speak. So, we wanted to share a few words we still use today that actually came about in an interesting historical way.
READ MORE
5 Important Historical Events That Changed LanguageMajor events in history have not only changed the world in significant ways, but they have also transformed the ways we speak. So, we wanted to share a few words we still use today that actually came about in an interesting historical way.
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

combat, clash, competition, strife, struggle, battle, rivalry, war, hostility, friction, animosity, difference, dispute, vary, differ, disagree, disturb, contention, contest, engagement

Nearby words

confiture, conflagrant, conflagration, conflate, conflation, conflict, conflict of interest, conflict of laws, conflicted, conflicting, confluence

Origin of conflict

1375–1425; late Middle English (noun) < Latin conflīctus a striking together, equivalent to conflīg(ere) to strike together, contend (con- con- + flīgere to strike) + -tus suffix of v. action; (v.) < Latin conflīctus, past participle of conflīgere, or by v. use of the noun

Related forms

Synonym study

3. See fight.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for conflict

British Dictionary definitions for conflict

conflict

noun (ˈkɒnflɪkt)

a struggle or clash between opposing forces; battle
a state of opposition between ideas, interests, etc; disagreement or controversy
a clash, as between two appointments made for the same time
psychol opposition between two simultaneous but incompatible wishes or drives, sometimes leading to a state of emotional tension and thought to be responsible for neuroses

verb (kənˈflɪkt) (intr)

to come into opposition; clash
to fight

Derived Forms

confliction, nounconflictive or conflictory, adjective

Word Origin for conflict

C15: from Latin conflictus, from conflīgere to combat, from flīgere to strike
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

Medicine definitions for conflict

conflict

[ kŏn′flĭkt′ ]

n.

A psychic struggle between opposing or incompatible impulses, desires, or tendencies.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.