Library / English Dictionary

CONFLICT

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war

Example:

he lost his romantic ideas about war when he got into a real engagement

Synonyms:

battle; conflict; engagement; fight

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("conflict" is a kind of...):

action; military action (a military engagement)

Domain category:

armed forces; armed services; military; military machine; war machine (the military forces of a nation)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "conflict"):

Armageddon (any catastrophically destructive battle)

pitched battle (a fierce battle fought in close combat between troops in predetermined positions at a chosen time and place)

naval battle (a pitched battle between naval fleets)

armed combat; combat (an engagement fought between two military forces)

dogfight (an aerial engagement between fighter planes)

assault (close fighting during the culmination of a military attack)

Instance hyponyms:

Battle of Britain (the prolonged bombardment of British cities by the German Luftwaffe during World War II and the aerial combat that accompanied it)

Drogheda (in 1649 the place was captured by Oliver Cromwell, who massacred the Catholic inhabitants)

Holonyms ("conflict" is a part of...):

war; warfare (the waging of armed conflict against an enemy)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An open clash between two opposing groups (or individuals)

Example:

police tried to control the battle between the pro- and anti-abortion mobs

Synonyms:

battle; conflict; struggle

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("conflict" is a kind of...):

group action (action taken by a group of people)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "conflict"):

war; warfare (an active struggle between competing entities)

feud (a bitter quarrel between two parties)

combat; fight; fighting; scrap (the act of fighting; any contest or struggle)

turf war (a bitter struggle for territory or power or control or rights)

tug-of-war (any hard struggle between equally matched groups)

strife (bitter conflict; heated often violent dissension)

counterinsurgency; pacification (actions taken by a government to defeat insurgency)

insurrection; rebellion; revolt; rising; uprising (organized opposition to authority; a conflict in which one faction tries to wrest control from another)

class struggle; class war; class warfare (conflict between social or economic classes (especially between the capitalist and proletariat classes))

Sense 3

Meaning:

An incompatibility of dates or events

Example:

he noticed a conflict in the dates of the two meetings

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("conflict" is a kind of...):

incompatibility (the quality of being unable to exist or work in congenial combination)

Derivation:

conflict (be in conflict)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A disagreement or argument about something important

Example:

the familiar conflict between Republicans and Democrats

Synonyms:

conflict; difference; difference of opinion; dispute

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("conflict" is a kind of...):

disagreement (the speech act of disagreeing or arguing or disputing)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "conflict"):

collision (a conflict of opposed ideas or attitudes or goals)

arguing; argument; contention; contestation; controversy; disceptation; disputation; tilt (a contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement)

gap (a difference (especially an unfortunate difference) between two opinions or two views or two situations)

dustup; quarrel; row; run-in; words; wrangle (an angry dispute)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Opposition between two simultaneous but incompatible feelings

Example:

he was immobilized by conflict and indecision

Classified under:

Nouns denoting feelings and emotions

Hypernyms ("conflict" is a kind of...):

ambivalence; ambivalency (mixed feelings or emotions)

Derivation:

conflict (be in conflict)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Opposition in a work of drama or fiction between characters or forces (especially an opposition that motivates the development of the plot)

Example:

this form of conflict is essential to Mann's writing

Classified under:

Nouns denoting relations between people or things or ideas

Hypernyms ("conflict" is a kind of...):

oppositeness; opposition (the relation between opposed entities)

Sense 7

Meaning:

A state of opposition between persons or ideas or interests

Example:

a conflict of loyalties

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("conflict" is a kind of...):

state (the way something is with respect to its main attributes)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "conflict"):

clash; friction (a state of conflict between persons)

clash (a state of conflict between colors)

disagreement; dissension; dissonance (a conflict of people's opinions or actions or characters)

Derivation:

conflict (go against, as of rules and laws)

conflict (be in conflict)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Go against, as of rules and laws

Example:

This behavior conflicts with our rules

Synonyms:

conflict; contravene; infringe; run afoul

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "conflict" is one way to...):

breach; break; go against; infract; offend; transgress; violate (act in disregard of laws, rules, contracts, or promises)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

conflict (a state of opposition between persons or ideas or interests)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Be in conflict

Example:

The two proposals conflict!

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Hypernyms (to "conflict" is one way to...):

contrast; counterpoint (to show differences when compared; be different)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "conflict"):

clash; collide; jar (be incompatible; be or come into conflict)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Something is ----ing PP

Derivation:

conflict (an incompatibility of dates or events)

conflict (opposition between two simultaneous but incompatible feelings)

conflict (a state of opposition between persons or ideas or interests)

Credits

 Context examples: 

Numerous studies have searched for a potential genetic role of tryptophan hydroxylase mutations in neuropsychiatric indications, with conflicting results.

(Neurotransmitter Biosynthesis Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)

She longed to bid me hasten my return; a thousand conflicting emotions rendered her mute as she bade me a tearful, silent farewell.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

The smith’s broad and usually stolid face was all working with his conflicting emotions.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Listening to each other and working to resolve conflicts are important in strengthening the family.

(Family Issues, NIH)

A standard survey tool for assessing the resolution of conflict between intimate partners.

(Conflicts Tactics Scale 2, NCI Thesaurus)

The act of receiving professional guidance in resolving personal conflicts and emotional problems.

(Counseling, NCI Thesaurus)

The software requirements for the device are either incomplete, inadequate, or in conflict.

(Device Software Requirement Error Evaluation Result, Food and Drug Administration)

From the evening at Ruth's Martin brought away with him strange confusions and conflicting feelings.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Earlier studies of the potential effects of POP exposure during pregnancy have produced conflicting results.

(Persistent organic pollutants in maternal blood linked to smaller fetal size, National Institutes of Health)

At the first hint of conflict, the whole team drew together and faced him.

(White Fang, by Jack London)