conflict
Americanverb (used without object)
-
conflicts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
conflicted,
past participle, past
-
conflicting
present participle
noun
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conflicts
plural
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a fight, battle, or struggle, especially a prolonged struggle; strife.
-
controversy; quarrel.
conflicts between parties.
- Antonyms:
- accord
-
discord of action, feeling, or effect; antagonism or opposition, as of interests or principles.
a conflict of ideas.
- Synonyms:
- opposition, contention
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a striking together; collision.
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incompatibility or interference, as of one idea, desire, event, or activity with another.
a conflict in the schedule.
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Psychiatry. a mental struggle arising from opposing demands or impulses.
noun
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a struggle or clash between opposing forces; battle
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a state of opposition between ideas, interests, etc; disagreement or controversy
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a clash, as between two appointments made for the same time
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psychol opposition between two simultaneous but incompatible wishes or drives, sometimes leading to a state of emotional tension and thought to be responsible for neuroses
verb
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to come into opposition; clash
-
to fight
Synonym Usage
See fight.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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conflictionnoun
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preconflictnoun
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self-conflictnoun
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preconflictverb (used without object)
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conflictiveadjective
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conflictoryadjective
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nonconflictiveadjective
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unconflictiveadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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conflictsimple
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conflictssimple
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have conflictedperfect
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has conflictedperfect
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am conflictingprogressive
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are conflictingprogressive
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is conflictingprogressive
-
have been conflictingperfect progressive
-
has been conflictingperfect progressive
Past
-
conflictedsimple
-
had conflictedperfect
-
was conflictingprogressive
-
were conflictingprogressive
-
had been conflictingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of conflict
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English (noun), from Latin conflīctus “a striking together,” equivalent to conflīg(ere) “to strike together, contend” ( con- con- + flīgere “to strike”) + -tus suffix of verb action; (verb) from Latin conflīctus, past participle of conflīgere, or by verb use of the noun
Explanation
A conflict is a struggle or an opposition. If you and your best friend both fall in love with the same person, you will have to find some way to resolve the conflict. Conflict comes from the Latin word for striking, but it isn't always violent. Conflict can arise from opposing ideas. If you want to turn your empty lot into a community garden but your wife envisions a shooting range, you have a conflict. If you're torn between two different desires, you're conflicted. Conflict can also be a verb. If you schedule a dentist appointment that conflicts with a meeting, you'll have to cancel one of them.
Vocabulary lists containing conflict
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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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.
See Examples For:
However, in an interview with 60 Minutes that aired on Sunday, the president said that he did not currently see "any reason" to escalate the conflict.
From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2026
Still, a diplomatic breakthrough remains uncertain, with Washington and Tehran yet to reach an agreement on ending the conflict or restoring normal shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2026
Negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the United States will hold talks in Abu Dhabi Tuesday on ending Europe's worst conflict since World War II, in the first such meeting in more than nine months.
From Barron's ● Nov. 10, 2026
There’s now more oil flowing out of the Persian Gulf than before the Iran conflict began, the official said.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 9, 2026
“The conflict in Southeast Asia is in the process of moving to a higher level,” General Westmoreland reported.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
Perps gained attention earlier this year when conflicts in the Middle East prompted a surge of trading in oil-linked perps on Hyperliquid, a decentralized crypto exchange.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 8, 2026
“While the evolution of geopolitical conflict is impossible to predict — the course of the Ukraine-Russia war serves as an example of how surprisingly long such conflicts can last,” Axel and Levingston wrote.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026
According to the ministry, conflicts between bears and humans are "relatively rare" unless the animals are startled or protecting their cubs and food.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
The war has cast a shadow on Persian Gulf nations that have long presented themselves as paragons of stability in a volatile region, mostly unaffected by the conflicts raging in the wider Middle East.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
Both of them had spent their lives studying the history of goblin-elf conflicts.
From "The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge" by M.T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin
Like others participating in the ceremony, she has conflicted feelings about the growing tourist presence.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
On primary day, I was personally conflicted about who I’d vote for.
From Slate ● Oct. 29, 2026
“Because I’m a conflicted party, I can’t actually be in the discussions of the special committees,” Musk told investors.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026
In conversations over the following days, Tatiana told him she was conflicted over his decision to once again leave his family and go back to fighting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
“Well, I have some questions, too,” said Njemile, “and I’m also bored of Mr. Jacobs here actin’ like he’s conflicted about telling the truth.”
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
For people trying to navigate changing nutrition recommendations and conflicting health messages, Anderson favors a practical approach rather than complicated dietary rules.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 6, 2026
Prices have been volatile as traders digest conflicting signals on the progress of U.S.-Iran peace talks, ANZ Research says in a note.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026
“Jensen Huang has become enormously influential in shaping U.S. chip policy, and Nvidia’s commercial interests are intertwined with Washington’s China strategy in complex and sometimes conflicting ways,” Lee said.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 31, 2026
There have been conflicting signals about the timing of a potential U.S. attack.
From Barron's ● Oct. 24, 2026
The source of the disagreement goes much deeper, however, involving conflicting attitudes toward government itself, competing versions of citizenship, differing postures toward the twin goals of freedom and equality.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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