conflict

[kuhn-flikt, kon-flikt]

verb (used without object)

1. 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.

   Synonyms: oppose, collide

2. to fight or contend; do battle.

noun

1. a fight, battle, or struggle, especially a prolonged struggle; strife.

   Synonyms: siege, encounter

2. controversy; quarrel.

   conflicts between parties.

   Antonyms: accord

3. discord of action, feeling, or effect; antagonism or opposition, as of interests or principles.

   a conflict of ideas.

   Synonyms: opposition, contention

4. a striking together; collision.

5. incompatibility or interference, as of one idea, desire, event, or activity with another.

   a conflict in the schedule.

6. Psychiatry.,  a mental struggle arising from opposing demands or impulses.

conflict

noun

1. a struggle or clash between opposing forces; battle

2. a state of opposition between ideas, interests, etc; disagreement or controversy

3. a clash, as between two appointments made for the same time

4. 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

1. to come into opposition; clash

2. to fight

Other Word Forms

• confliction noun
• conflictive adjective
• conflictory adjective
• nonconflictive adjective
• preconflict noun
• self-conflict noun
• unconflictive adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of conflict¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English (noun), from Latin conflīctus “a striking together,” equivalent to conflīg(ere) “to strike together, contend” ( con- con- + flīgere “to strike”) + -tus suffix of verb action; (verb) from Latin conflīctus, past participle of conflīgere, or by verb use of the noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of conflict¹

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

Synonym Study

See fight.

Example Sentences

It is an important psychological marker considering that Putin’s propaganda has sold the war to the Russian public as a replay of that conflict.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Ms Stavridis says there are many conflicting studies on whether magnesium supplements really make a difference.

Read more on BBC

But the connection to anything surreal is absent from most of the art here, and occasionally there are conflicting narratives within the show.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Readers can decide if they think the pardon had nothing to do with the investment, but it sure looks like a conflict of interest.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The Pentagon has told Congress that the United States is in "armed conflict" with Latin American drug cartels, designating them as terrorist groups and describing suspected smugglers as "unlawful combatants."

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• battle 
• clash 
• combat 
• competition 
• rivalry 
• strife 
• struggle 
• war