fracas
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of fracas
First recorded in 1720–30; < French, from Italian fracasso, derivative of fracassare “to smash,” equivalent to fra- “completely” (from Latin infrā “among”) + cassare “to break”; see cassation
Explanation
If your marching band gets into a fight with another school's pep squad, your principal might say the fracas was uncalled for and undignified. A fracas is a noisy quarrel. Fracas comes from an Italian word meaning "uproar" or "crash." Two people in a quiet little spat is not a fracas, but a schoolyard rumble definitely qualifies as one! Sometimes fracas means the large amount of outraged discussion that an event causes. Imagine the fracas if your school decided to ban sneakers!
Vocabulary lists containing fracas
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
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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.
When the fracas became public, Gabbard decided to litigate it on X and go personal on the whistleblower, inadvertently telegraphing her weak position.
From Salon • Mar. 5, 2026
The fracas is far from over, as Greenland and other geopolitical risks remain elevated.
From Barron's • Jan. 23, 2026
The fracas above ground is raising questions about how the Permian can sustain red-hot production without causing widespread environmental damage that could leave taxpayers on the hook—and complicate the region’s economic plans.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 26, 2025
Both rappers’ children were also pulled into the fracas.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 15, 2025
Then a burly man came through the door, still scowling from the fracas.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
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.
