confrontation

American  

[kon-fruhn-tey-shuhn, -fruhn-] / ˌkɒn frənˈteɪ ʃən, -frʌn- /

Rarely confrontal

noun

• confrontations
  plural

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.

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confrontation British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonconfrontation
  noun
• reconfrontation
  noun
• confrontational
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• confrontations
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

confrontation confrontations

Sheinbaum has sought to avoid confrontation with Trump while also positing herself as a defender of Mexican sovereignty.

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

Only in the final act does Scott bring Washington and Crowe together and the confrontation we’ve waited for turns out to be two formidable men sitting across a table, sizing each other up.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

In 1689 William joined forces with Leopold I, the Holy Roman Emperor, in a nine-year confrontation with the French that would become known as the War of the League of Augsburg.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

The judge also claimed that Byrd and Roberts “outnumbered” Powers, failing to note that his 14-year-old companion was present and—according to witness testimony—armed during the confrontation.

From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026

Alvarez had been willing to sign the oath, but he understood that Lawrence had wildly exceeded his authority; at the time of the Wick confrontation, the regents had still not decided whether to dismiss nonsigners.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Palestinian security camera video shared with the BBC showed confrontations between Israeli soldiers and border police and a large crowd of settlers.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

Afterwards, Palestinian security camera video shared with the BBC showed confrontations between Israeli soldiers and border police and a large crowd of settlers.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

Lincoln, 20, who studies food science at Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, N.C., has gotten in the habit of using her chatbot to prepare for dates and tense confrontations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026

He previously served as Mexico’s security minister, helping implement former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s controversial “hugs, not bullets” strategy, which emphasized addressing the root causes of crime instead of military confrontations.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2026

But the subject required too much truth, too many confrontations, and offered too little support to a failing ego.

From "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison

Related Words

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