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.
"China perceives Spain as relatively friendly, less confrontational toward China than other countries and likely more independent from Washington. This allows for more autonomous decision-making," he told AFP.
From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026
To some, the music of Irreversible Entanglements may seem confrontational.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 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
Pollock, who can play across the back row, also enjoys playing on the edge, adding that he plays best when "aggressive and confrontational".
From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026
Beyond sheer verbal volume, the punch so evident in the Adams prose reflected his more aggressive and confrontational temperament.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
