confrontation
Americannoun
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an act of confronting.
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the state of being confronted.
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a meeting of persons face to face.
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an open conflict of opposing ideas, forces, etc.
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a bringing together of ideas, themes, etc., for comparison.
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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.
noun
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the act or an instance of confronting
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a situation of mutual hostility between two powers or nations without open warfare
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a state of conflict between two antagonistic forces, creeds, or ideas etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing confrontation
The Watsons Go to Birmingham
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Freak the Mighty
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Wonder
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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.
"I don't think a solution solely through armed confrontation is viable," said former admiral Pablo Romero, echoing doubts about De la Espriella's strategy.
From Barron's • Jun. 20, 2026
The court was told the confrontation on 25 December, 2025, was sparked by Turner, who had served in the Navy, making complaints about noise from Hughes' flat.
From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026
Faced with the twin challenges of managing protests and containing cartel networks, regional authorities are choosing deterrence over confrontation.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026
With neither side willing to back down, a new confrontation over Lebanon appears to be a matter of time.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026
On the night of February 26, 2012, Martin had engaged in an altercation with Zimmerman, who was the neighborhood watch coordinator for the Sanford, Florida, gated community in which the confrontation took place.
From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler
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.
