altercation
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of altercation
1350–1400; Middle English altercacioun < Latin altercātiōn- (stem of altercātiō ). See altercate, -ion
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.
TMZ publishes a previously unreleased video taken by Mortensen during his February 2023 altercation with Paul.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026
Paul’s daughter was on the couch at the time of the altercation, and toward the end of the video, she is heard crying while Mortensen says, “Stop throwing stuff and help your daughter.”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026
He had been arrested after a minor altercation with police; Alam was apparently too confused to follow their orders.
From Salon • Mar. 3, 2026
An altercation with a nightclub bouncer in Wellington, a wasteful Ashes performance and a foolish attempt to hide the truth, for which he later had to come clean.
From BBC • Feb. 24, 2026
The old man whom he had followed was standing at the bar, having some kind of altercation with the barman, a large, stout, hook-nosed young man with enormous forearms.
From "1984" by George Orwell
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.
