confrontation

American  

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

Rarely confrontal

noun

• confrontations
  plural

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  

/ 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

Derived Forms

• nonconfrontation
  noun
• reconfrontation
  noun
• confrontational
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• confrontations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of confrontation

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

Explanation

A confrontation is an angry disagreement. You might become so irritated about your upstairs neighbor's loud, awful music that a confrontation is unavoidable. Confrontation implies hostility, although like a fight, a confrontation can involve actual violence, or just a clash of words. A confrontation often refers to a military encounter involving opposing armies. This meaning became popular after the Cuban missile crisis in 1963. Before that, confrontation was used to mean "bringing two opposing parties face to face," from the Latin word confrontationem.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

confrontation confrontations

They have also agreed to establish a communication channel for AI-related incidents, aimed at preventing misunderstandings or unexpected developments from turning into a broader confrontation.

From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026

We live in a golden age of idiocy and confrontation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

“Fearmongering, confrontation and vicious competition will only disrupt the process of global AI governance which serves no one’s interest,” a spokesperson said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026

Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a briefing that “fearmongering, confrontation and vicious competition will only disrupt the process of global AI governance.”

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026

I wasn’t sure whether I remembered that because it was true or because I wanted to avoid any kind of confrontation with Weylin.

From "Kindred" by Octavia Butler

It’s unclear whether similar confrontations would be resolved by the new Paramount board and, if so, what that would mean for the authority of the top executives at CBS News and CNN.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

Players who cover their mouths in confrontations with opponents will not be shown red cards in Uefa competitions either.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

A graduation photo ended Ipswich’s playoff run, sparking outrage, confrontations and a ‘CSI-level investigation.’

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026

Sheinbaum said fences will be installed to prevent confrontations between police and protesters in the Zócalo.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026

Anderson was not a person who enjoyed controversy or welcomed confrontations.

From "The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights" by Russell Freedman

Related Words

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