Conflict — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈkän-ˌflikt/ (noun) /kən-ˈflikt/ (verb) con·flict

Meaning & Definition of Conflict

Conflict (noun)

  1. fight, battle, war
  2. a difference that prevents agreement, antagonistic state or action (as of divergent ideas, interests, or persons)
  3. mental struggle resulting from incompatible or opposing needs, drives, wishes, or external or internal demands

Conflict (verb)

  1. to be different, opposed, or contradictory, to fail to be in agreement or accord
  2. to create a conflict of interest
  3. to happen at the same time

Conflict (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a lack of agreement or harmony

    "the conflict between absolute freedom and personal responsibility"

    similar: disaccord, discord, discordance, discordancy, disharmony, dissension, dissent, dissidence, dissonance, disunion, disunity, division, friction, infighting, inharmony, schism, strife, variance, war, warfare
    related: clash, collision, competition, contention, altercation, argument, bicker, brawl, debate, disagreement, dispute, divide, fissure, falling-out, fight, hassle, jar, miff, mix-up, quarrel, row, run-in, scrap, spat, squabble, tiff, wrangle, incompatibility, incongruence, incongruity, incongruousness, inconsistence, inconsistency, inconsonance, inharmoniousness, animosity, antagonism, antipathy, cold war, enmity, hostility, ill will, rancor
    opposite: accord, agreement, concord, concordance, harmony, peace
    near: concurrence, cooperation

  2. a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups

    "an armed conflict between strikers and strikebreakers"

    similar: battle, clash, combat, contest, dustup, fight, fracas, fray, hassle, scrap, scrimmage, scrum, scuffle, skirmish, struggle, tussle
    related: pitched battle, rough-and-tumble, affray (chiefly British), battle royal, brawl, broil, donnybrook, free-for-all, melee, mix-up, ruckus, ruction, blows, fistfight, fisticuffs, grapple, handgrips, punch-out, punch-up (chiefly British), slugfest, confrontation, duel, face-off, joust, altercation, argle-bargle (chiefly British), argument, argy-bargy (chiefly British), contretemps, controversy, cross fire, disagreement, dispute, falling-out, kickup, misunderstanding, quarrel, row, spat, squabble, tangle, tiff, wrangle, catfight
    near: truce

  3. a state of armed violent struggle between states, nations, or groups

    "the United Nations strives to prevent international conflicts"

    similar: conflagration, hostilities, hot war, war
    related: civil war, cold war, holy war, limited war, police action, world war, action, battle, engagement, skirmish, combat, fighting, warfare
    opposite: peace
    near: demilitarization, demobilization, disarmament, pacification, ceasefire, truce, calm, peacefulness, tranquility

  4. an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another

    "the eternal conflict between the forces of good and evil"

    similar: ball game, battle, combat, competition, confrontation, contention, contest, dogfight, duel, face-off, grapple, match, rivalry, strife, struggle, sweepstakes, tug-of-war, war, warfare
    related: horse race, nail-biter, showdown, clash, collision, discord, friction, argument, controversy, debate, disagreement, disputation, dispute, dissension, quarrel, row, wrangle
    near: concord, harmony, peace

Conflict (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to be out of harmony or agreement usually noticeably

    "his statement conflicts with the facts, as given in the police report"

    similar: clash, collide, disaccord, discord, jar
    related: battle, combat, engage, fight, war (against), chafe, gall, grate, jangle, differ, disagree, dissent
    opposite: accord, blend, conform (to or with), fit, harmonize, match
    near: agree, assent, coincide, concur, correspond

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Conflict

The most common words with a similar meaning to Conflict:

disaccord, discord, discordance, discordancy, disharmony, dissension, dissent, dissidence, dissonance, disunion, disunity, division, friction, infighting, inharmony, schism, strife, variance, war, warfare, battle, clash, combat, contest, dustup, fight, fracas, fray, hassle, scrap, scrimmage, scrum, scuffle, skirmish, struggle, tussle, conflagration, hostilities, hot war, ball game

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Conflict

Words with the opposite meaning of Conflict:

accord, agreement, concord, concordance, harmony, peace, blend, conform (to or with), fit, harmonize, match

Related Words for Conflict

collision, altercation, argument, bicker, brawl, debate, disagreement, dispute, divide, fissure, falling-out, miff, mix-up, quarrel, row, run-in, spat, squabble, tiff, wrangle, incompatibility, incongruence, incongruity, incongruousness, inconsistence, inconsistency, inconsonance, inharmoniousness, animosity, antagonism

Near Antonyms of Conflict

concurrence, cooperation, truce, demilitarization, demobilization, disarmament, pacification, ceasefire, calm, peacefulness, tranquility, agree, assent, coincide, concur, correspond

Word Forms of Conflict

Inflections: conflicted, conflicting, conflicts

Derived words: conflictful (adjective), conflictual (adjective), confliction (noun), conflictive (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Conflict

Middle English conflicte, conflyte "battle, struggle, assault," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French conflykte, conflict, borrowed from Latin conflīctus "striking together, clash," from conflīgere "to strike together, bring into collision, do battle, contend" (from con- con- + flīgere "to strike, dash down") + -tus, suffix of action nouns profligate:1

First known use: 15th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Conflict

Words & Phrases Containing Conflict

conflict of interest, come into conflict, in conflict, deconflict

Frequently Asked Questions about Conflict

What does "Conflict" mean?

"Conflict" means fight, battle, war. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: fight, battle, war. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Conflict"?

Other words for "Conflict" include disaccord, discord, discordance, discordancy, disharmony, dissension, dissent and dissidence. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Conflict" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Conflict"?

There are 136 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Conflict". Common alternatives include disaccord, discord, discordance, discordancy, disharmony, dissension, dissent, dissidence, dissonance and disunion.

What is the opposite of "Conflict"?

Antonyms of "Conflict" include accord, agreement, concord, concordance, harmony, peace, blend and conform (to or with). Near antonyms include concurrence, cooperation, truce and demilitarization.

How do you use "Conflict" in a sentence?

Examples of "Conflict" in a sentence: "the conflict between absolute freedom and personal responsibility"; "an armed conflict between strikers and strikebreakers"; "the United Nations strives to prevent international conflicts".

Is "Conflict" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Conflict" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Conflict" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Conflict" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+. It is on the Academic Word List, so it appears often in IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and university texts.

How do you pronounce "Conflict"?

"Conflict" is pronounced /ˈkän-ˌflikt/ as a noun and /kən-ˈflikt/ as a verb and divided into syllables as con·flict.