# conflict

/ˈkɑnfɫɪkt/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/conflict
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. a fight or struggle

noun · CEFR B2

a serious disagreement or a physical fight between people, groups, or countries.

For teachers: a state of open, often prolonged fighting; a battle or war. Often used in political or sociological contexts to describe systemic struggles.

- The two countries are trying to find a peaceful way to end the conflict.
- Diplomatic efforts were redoubled in an attempt to resolve the border conflict before it escalated into a full-scale regional war.

Usage: Often takes the preposition 'between' or 'with'.

### 2. incompatibility

noun · CEFR B2 · Academic

a situation where two ideas, needs, or interests cannot exist together.

For teachers: a state of logical or practical incompatibility between two or more elements. Frequently appears in the phrase 'conflict of interest'.

- There is a conflict between his desire to travel and his need to save money.
- The researcher had to disclose a potential conflict of interest because she owned shares in the company funding the study.

### 3. to be at odds

verb · CEFR B2 · Academic

to be different in a way that means two things cannot both be true or happen together.

For teachers: to be in opposition or show a lack of agreement. This intransitive verb requires the preposition 'with' when followed by an object.

- The results of the new study conflict with the findings from last year.
- The witness's testimony appeared to conflict with the physical evidence found at the scene, leading the jury to question his credibility.

Usage: The verb is intransitive and typically takes the preposition 'with'.

### 4. scheduling overlap

verb · CEFR B2

when two events happen at the same time so you cannot go to both.

For teachers: to occur at the same time as another event, creating a logistical impossibility for a participant.

- I would love to come to your party, but it conflicts with my work schedule.
- The final exam conflicts with the graduation rehearsal, so several students have requested a rescheduled time for their test.

## Examples

- The two coworkers had a conflict over the new office rules.
- The mediator worked for hours to resolve the conflict between the management and the local labor union.
- The novel explores the internal conflict of a protagonist torn between his duty to his family and his desire for personal independence.

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