confrontation

American  

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

Rarely confrontal

noun

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

• confrontational adjective
• nonconfrontation noun
• reconfrontation noun

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

Foxes goalkeeper Asmir Begovic, speaking to BBC Radio Leicester without knowledge of his team-mate's confrontation outside the ground, said he "can understand the frustrations" of supporters.

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026

It could also force a confrontation by sending oil-laden tankers through the strait.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

Some of the prattle can feel like treading water, a delaying tactic until the inevitable confrontation scene.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

It is, admittedly, hard to reconcile the fact that something so unambiguously tasteless has provoked this confrontation.

From Slate • Apr. 13, 2026

Perhaps most significantly, this great wave of 'rediscovered’ older music was being offered to the public just as modern music was embarking upon a journey towards greater difficulty, confrontation and experimentation.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Related Words

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