altercation
n. countablen. 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.
Borrowed from Latin altercātiō. Cognates * Catalan altercació * Italian altercazione * Occitan altercatio, altercassion * Portuguese altercação * Spanish altercación
Often paired with the verbs 'have', 'get into', or 'lead to'.