altercation
n.a loud or angry argument between people. It is usually a short, public fight that does not involve physical violence.
n.a noisy, public disagreement or dispute. Often implies a verbal clash rather than a physical one, though it may precede physical violence.
“The two drivers had a brief altercation over a parking space.”
“Police were called to the stadium after a heated altercation broke out between rival fans in the parking lot.”
“What began as a minor professional disagreement escalated into a public altercation that ultimately damaged the reputations of both scientists involved.”
Often paired with the verbs 'have', 'get into', or 'lead to'.
Borrowed from Latin altercātiō. Cognates * Catalan altercació * Italian altercazione * Occitan altercatio, altercassion * Portuguese altercação * Spanish altercación
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.