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.
2.
to fight or contend; do battle.
–noun
3.
a fight, battle, or struggle, esp. a prolonged struggle; strife.
4.
controversy; quarrel: conflicts between parties.
5.
discord of action, feeling, or effect; antagonism or opposition, as of interests or principles: a conflict of ideas.
6.
a striking together; collision.
7.
incompatibility or interference, as of one idea, desire, event, or activity with another: a conflict in the schedule.
8.
Psychiatry. a mental struggle arising from opposing demands or impulses.
[Origin: 1375–1425; late ME (n.) < L conflīctus a striking together, equiv. to conflīg(ere) to strike together, contend (con-con-+ flīgere to strike) + -tus suffix of v. action; (v.) < L conflīctus, ptp. of conflīgere, or by v. use of the n.]
A state of open, often prolonged fighting; a battle or war.
A state of disharmony between incompatible or antithetical persons, ideas, or interests; a clash.
Psychology A psychic struggle, often unconscious, resulting from the opposition or simultaneous functioning of mutually exclusive impulses, desires, or tendencies.
Opposition between characters or forces in a work of drama or fiction, especially opposition that motivates or shapes the action of the plot.
Synonyms: These nouns denote struggle between opposing forces for victory or supremacy. Conflict applies both to open fighting between hostile groups and to a struggle between antithetical forces: "The kind of victory MacArthur had in mind . . . victory by expanding the conflict to all of China—would have been the wrong kind of victory" (Harry S. Truman). "Fortunately analysis is not the only way to resolve inner conflicts" (Karen Horney).
Contest can refer either to friendly competition or to a hostile struggle to achieve an objective: a spelling contest; the gubernatorial contest. Combat most commonly implies an encounter between two armed persons or groups: "Alexander had appeared to him, armed for combat" (Connop Thirlwall).
Fight usually refers to a clash involving individual adversaries: A fight was scheduled between the world boxing champion and the challenger."There is nothing I love as much as a good fight" (Franklin D. Roosevelt). See Also Synonyms at discord.
an open clash between two opposing groups (or individuals); "the harder the conflict the more glorious the triumph"--Thomas Paine; "police tried to control the battle between the pro- and anti-abortion mobs"
2.
opposition between two simultaneous but incompatible feelings; "he was immobilized by conflict and indecision"
3.
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war; "Grant won a decisive victory in the battle of Chickamauga"; "he lost his romantic ideas about war when he got into a real engagement" [syn: battle]
4.
a state of opposition between persons or ideas or interests; "his conflict of interest made him ineligible for the post"; "a conflict of loyalties"
5.
an incompatibility of dates or events; "he noticed a conflict in the dates of the two meetings"
6.
opposition in a work of drama or fiction between characters or forces (especially an opposition that motivates the development of the plot); "this form of conflict is essential to Mann's writing"
7.
a disagreement or argument about something important; "he had a dispute with his wife"; "there were irreconcilable differences"; "the familiar conflict between Republicans and Democrats" [syn: dispute]
verb
1.
be in conflict; "The two proposals conflict!"
2.
go against, as of rules and laws; "He ran afoul of the law"; "This behavior conflicts with our rules"
Con"flict\, n. [L. conflictus a striking together, fr. confligere, -flictum, to strike together, to fight: cf. F. conflit, formerly also conflict. See Conflict, v.]1. A striking or dashing together; violent collision; as, a conflict of elements or waves. 2. A strife for the mastery; hostile contest; battle; struggle; fighting. As soon as he [Atterbury] was himself again, he became eager for action and conflict. --Macaulay. An irrepressible conflict between opposing and enduring forces. --W. H. Seward. Conflict of laws, that branch of jurisprudence which deals with individual litigation claimed to be subject to the conflicting laws of two or more states or nations; -- often used as synonymous with Private international law. Syn: Contest; collision; struggle; combat; strife; contention; battle; fight; encounter. See Contest.
Con"flict\, n. [L. conflictus a striking together, fr. confligere, -flictum, to strike together, to fight: cf. F. conflit, formerly also conflict. See Conflict, v.]1. A striking or dashing together; violent collision; as, a conflict of elements or waves. 2. A strife for the mastery; hostile contest; battle; struggle; fighting. As soon as he [Atterbury] was himself again, he became eager for action and conflict. --Macaulay. An irrepressible conflict between opposing and enduring forces. --W. H. Seward. Conflict of laws, that branch of jurisprudence which deals with individual litigation claimed to be subject to the conflicting laws of two or more states or nations; -- often used as synonymous with Private international law. Syn: Contest; collision; struggle; combat; strife; contention; battle; fight; encounter. See Contest.
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