- present participle of conflict.
conflicting
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of conflicting
Explanation
Feeling at odds? In total disagreement? Then you're probably dealing with something conflicting. The adjective conflicting is rooted in the word conflict for a reason: When things are conflicting they're in conflict, disagreeing or contradicting each other. Conflicting reports or theories go against each other. Sometimes people get conflicting emotions when they're torn over a really hard decision. And conflicting personalities? They're completely incompatible.
Vocabulary lists containing conflicting
Dear Martin
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Thomas Jefferson's First Inaugural Address (1801)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A payable-on-death or beneficiary designation is a contract and, as such, trumps a conflicting provision in the will.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026
These conflicting emotions are cued by music that enacts the characters’ inner lives.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
The public also received conflicting information and messaging on whether ammonia, a toxic chemical, was present in the smoke.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
“Americans are hearing conflicting messages about vaccines right now, and it’s understandable that people are asking whom they should trust,” Dr. Bruce Gellin of the Vaccine Integrity Project told NPR.
From Salon ● Sep. 2, 2026
I’ve heard conflicting accounts of why Shawn fell.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.