rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryconflictDisagreement or struggle
noun / verb

conflict

KAHN-flikt/ˈkɑːnflɪkt/

Opposition between incompatible forces or requirements.

The women's tense expressions and opposing gestures reveal a conflict between them.

Two women face one another across a small table during a serious disagreement, with tense expressions and opposing hand gestures.
Etymology
conLatintogether, with
+flictLatinto strike

The pieces give the image of “striking together.” From a physical clash or battle, conflict extended to quarrels and struggles, including clashes between feelings or principles.

In context

euronews0:58
a sex strike as one of the weapons in her Arsenal to combat Liberia's Civil War the citation said she organized women across ethnic and religious divides to end the conflict
Women dominate 2011 Nobel Peace Prize

More examples

  • The neighbors try to resolve their conflict over the shared driveway.
  • These instructions conflict with the safety rules.
  • She feels a conflict between loyalty to her friend and honesty.

Forms

conflict · conflicts · conflicted · conflicting

Similar words

clash
Suggests a direct, often forceful encounter between opposing sides.
incompatibility
Emphasizes inability to coexist or work together, without active struggle.
dispute
Focuses on an expressed disagreement over a particular issue.