ENGLISH
REFERENCE

conflict

n. C / U
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ˈkɑnfɫɪkt// con·flict Academic General-service

n. a serious disagreement or argument between people, groups, or countries. It can also describe a situation where two ideas or interests cannot exist together.

n. a state of incompatibility or active hostility between entities, ideas, or interests. Often used to describe prolonged armed struggles or the psychological tension between opposing internal impulses.


SIMPLE

The two coworkers had a conflict over the new office rules.

CONTEXTUAL

The mediator worked for hours to resolve the conflict between the management and the local labor union.

COMPLEX

The novel explores the internal conflict of a protagonist torn between his duty to his family and his desire for personal independence.

Synonyms
Origin

From Latin conflictus, past participle of confligere (“to strike together”), from com- (“together”) (a form of con-) + fligere (“to strike”).

Usage

Often takes the prepositions 'between' or 'with'; frequently used in the phrase 'in conflict with'.

Pitfall

They have a conflict about the moneyThey have a conflict over the moneyWhile 'about' is understood, 'over' or 'between' are the standard collocations for the source of a disagreement.

© 2026 English Reference