confrontation

American  

[kon-fruhn-tey-shuhn, -fruhn-] / ˌkɒn frənˈteɪ ʃən, -frʌn- /

Rarely confrontal

noun

1. an act of confronting.

2. the state of being confronted.

3. a meeting of persons face to face.

4. an open conflict of opposing ideas, forces, etc.

5. a bringing together of ideas, themes, etc., for comparison.

6. Psychology. a technique used in group therapy, as in encounter groups, in which one is forced to recognize one's shortcomings and their possible consequences.

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confrontation British  

/ kɒnˈfrʌntmənt, ˌkɒnfrʌnˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or an instance of confronting

2. a situation of mutual hostility between two powers or nations without open warfare

3. a state of conflict between two antagonistic forces, creeds, or ideas etc

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Other Word Forms

• confrontational adjective
• nonconfrontation noun
• reconfrontation noun

Etymology

Origin of confrontation

First recorded in 1625–35; confront + -ation; compare Medieval Latin confrontātiō, French, Middle French confrontation

Example Sentences

The coalition had warned it would back Yemen's government in any military confrontation with separatist forces and has urged them to withdraw "peacefully" from recently-seized provinces.

From Barron's

Winkleman also remarked that the confrontations between contestants are "hardcore" in this series.

From BBC

It began when video footage of a confrontation between a man in a frog suit and immigration enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, went viral.

From BBC

“We are not looking for confrontations, but our eyes are open to any possible danger,” Netanyahu said.

From The Wall Street Journal

There were heated confrontations, stunning accusations and even lie detector tests, but one of the season’s best moments came via a reconciliation effort.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• battle
• contest
• crisis
• dispute
• encounter
• fight
• meeting
• showdown
• strife