confrontational
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
- nonconfrontational adjective
Etymology
Origin of confrontational
Explanation
Someone who's confrontational isn't shy about arguing forcefully — in fact, it's the way they often interact with other people. When guests on a TV talk show start yelling at each other, you can describe it as confrontational. When one person confronts another, they argue face-to-face — this interaction is confrontational. The Medieval Latin source of these words is confrontare, which simply means "adjoin," or "be next to," from the Latin roots com-, "together," and frontem, "forehead." So you could think of a confrontational situation as one in which two people are disagreeing while so close that their foreheads nearly touch.
Vocabulary lists containing confrontational
The Crossover
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Words with 15 or More Letters, List 3
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"Should Communities Set Teen Curfews?" and "Curfews: A National Debate"
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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.
It’s this exposé of societal absurdity and Meursault’s atheistic refusal to play along with pacifying notions of sin and redemption, that makes“The Stranger” a pinnacle of confrontational literature.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026
Leo has often been described as a more conciliatory and less confrontational figure than Francis, who clearly emerged from what might be called the center-left of the Latin American church.
From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026
“Republicans and Democrats both look at China’s activities that are destabilizing to global peace and security, and confrontational to American interests, and they have concerns,” Baumgartner says.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
The College Republicans chapter at UF has had a reputation for being energetic, subversive and confrontational, say students there.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026
They sought to cut all links with Indian activists and to move the ANC in the direction of a more confrontational strategy.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
