conflict meaning and definition

CONFLICT noun

Definition of conflict (noun)

1. 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"
   • synonyms: battle, struggle
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"
   • synonyms: battle, engagement, fight
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"
   • synonyms: difference, difference of opinion, dispute

CONFLICT verb

Definition of conflict (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"
   • synonyms: contravene, infringe, run afoul