conflict

American  

[kuhn-flikt, kon-flikt] / kənˈflɪkt, ˈkɒn flɪkt /

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.

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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 British  

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

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verb

1. to come into opposition; clash

2. to fight

Related Words

See fight.

Other Word Forms

• confliction noun
• conflictive adjective
• conflictory adjective
• nonconflictive adjective
• preconflict verb (used without object)
• self-conflict noun
• unconflictive adjective

Etymology

Origin of conflict

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

Example Sentences

Lebanese of all religions have emigrated in recent decades because of civil war, economic crises and periodic conflicts with Israel.

From The Wall Street Journal

Thompson, who takes his stage name from his wartime submachine gun, rose to fame during the bloody conflicts that tore Yugoslavia apart in the 1990s.

From Barron's

For a man known for being measured and careful in what he does, it seems quite the statement to land in a country so affected by conflict in what is his first foreign trip.

From BBC

They have been broken again and again by this conflict and have no idea what will come next.

From BBC

Beijing has demanded that Ms. Takaichi retract the statement that sparked the conflict, but backing down would be politically costly for her in Japan.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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