confrontation

Rarely con·front·al

[kon-fruhn-tey-shuhn, -fruhn-]

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.

confrontation

/ 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

Other Word Forms

• nonconfrontation noun
• reconfrontation noun
• confrontational adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of confrontation¹

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

Example Sentences

Public pressure in both countries makes it harder for either side to de-escalate, increasing the risk of a public incident spreading into a broader confrontation.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

It prompted the president of the National Electoral Council, Ana Paola Hall, to warn all parties "not to fan the flames of confrontation or violence".

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That way, there was no risk of confrontation between them while the adrenaline was still flowing from the game and tempers were running high.

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“The whole Brussels institutional framework, its methods, its mindset were not at all tailored” for the current period of “power politics, confrontation, highly brutal competition,” Vimont said.

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A limited form of military service will be re-introduced in France in response to growing fears of a confrontation with Russia.

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Related Words

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