conflicting
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- conflictingly adverb
- nonconflicting adjective
- unconflicting adjective
- unconflictingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of conflicting
Explanation
Feeling at odds? In total disagreement? Then you're probably dealing with something conflicting. The adjective conflicting is rooted in the word conflict for a reason: When things are conflicting they're in conflict, disagreeing or contradicting each other. Conflicting reports or theories go against each other. Sometimes people get conflicting emotions when they're torn over a really hard decision. And conflicting personalities? They're completely incompatible.
Vocabulary lists containing conflicting
Dear Martin
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Thomas Jefferson's First Inaugural Address (1801)
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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.
“They gave me conflicting information. They treated me like a criminal. I was very concerned that they wouldn’t tell me exactly what happened to me.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
In statements to investigators, Bovino and Epperson had offered conflicting accounts of the encounter.
From Salon • Apr. 15, 2026
There are conflicting reports of the number of casualties as a result of the strike on the market.
From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026
"With this comprehensive picture, we are finally able to reconcile many previously conflicting observations about lead-halide perovskites, resolving a long-standing debate about the source of their superior energy-harvesting efficiency," says Rak.
From Science Daily • Apr. 10, 2026
His mind swirled like a dust devil, conflicting memories chasing each other in circles.
From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool
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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.