conflict

[ verb kuhn-flikt; noun kon-flikt ]

verb (used without object)

1. to come into collision or disagreement; be contradictory, at variance, or in opposition; clash:

   The account of one eyewitness conflicted with that of the other. My class conflicts with my going to the concert.

   Synonyms: oppose, collide

2. to fight or contend; do battle.

noun

1. a fight, battle, or struggle, especially a prolonged struggle; strife.

   Synonyms: siege, encounter

2. controversy; quarrel:

   conflicts between parties.

   Antonyms: accord

3. discord of action, feeling, or effect; antagonism or opposition, as of interests or principles:

   a conflict of ideas.

   Synonyms: opposition, contention

4. a striking together; collision.
5. incompatibility or interference, as of one idea, desire, event, or activity with another:

   a conflict in the schedule.

6. Psychiatry. a mental struggle arising from opposing demands or impulses.

conflict

noun

1. a struggle or clash between opposing forces; battle
2. a state of opposition between ideas, interests, etc; disagreement or controversy
3. a clash, as between two appointments made for the same time
4. 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

1. to come into opposition; clash
2. to fight

Derived Forms

• conˈfliction, noun
• conˈflictive, adjective

Other Words From

• con·flic·tion noun
• con·flic·tive con·flic·to·ry [k, uh, n-, flik, -t, uh, -ree], adjective
• non·con·flic·tive adjective
• pre·con·flict verb (used without object)
• pre·con·flict noun
• self-con·flict noun
• un·con·flic·tive adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of conflict¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of conflict¹

C15: from Latin conflictus, from conflīgere to combat, from flīgere to strike

Synonym Study

See fight.

Example Sentences

No other potential conflicts of interest are disclosed.

From Science Daily

In Lebanon, the conflict has killed more than 3,500 people, forced more than one million from their homes, Lebanese authorities say.

From BBC

Another issue is the process of demining once a conflict is over, and clearing land that has been mined can take a long period of time.

From BBC

A swift, relatively orderly, end to conflicts such as the war in Ukraine could settle the global economic outlook - albeit the impact of such geopolitical complexity is extremely difficult to call.

From BBC

Layered on top of that is the fact that political disagreements have morphed into moral conflicts that are perceived as pitting good against evil.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• battle
• clash
• combat
• competition
• rivalry
• strife
• struggle
• war