Meaning & use
conflict
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
A serious disagreement or fight between people, groups, ideas, or interests.
Grammar: Use “a conflict” for one instance and “conflict” for a general state of opposition.
Patterns
- conflict between people
- in conflict with
- resolve a conflict
- armed conflict
There was conflict between the neighbors over the fence.
The two reports are in conflict with each other.
Mediation helped resolve the conflict before it grew worse.
nouncountable
In a story, the central struggle that drives the plot.
Grammar: Common in literature classes; can be internal or external.
Patterns
- central conflict
- internal conflict
- create conflict
The novel’s central conflict is between duty and desire.
Her internal conflict keeps the reader interested.
The script needs a stronger conflict in the second act.
verbintransitive
To be impossible to combine with something else because they disagree.
Grammar: Verb stress is usually on the second syllable: con-FLICT; typically takes “with.”
Patterns
- conflict with
- facts conflict
- schedules conflict
Her testimony conflicts with the earlier statement.
The meeting conflicts with my dentist appointment.
These rules conflict and need to be rewritten.
Word forms
| plural | conflicts |
|---|---|
| third person singular | conflicts |
| past tense | conflicted |
| past participle | conflicted |
| -ing form | conflicting |
Common combinations
- conflict of interest
- The judge reported a possible conflict of interest.
- internal conflict
- The hero’s internal conflict makes the story richer.
- armed conflict
- The region has suffered armed conflict for years.
- conflict with the facts
- His account conflicts with the facts in the report.
Synonyms and how they differ
- clash
- Clash can be shorter or sharper; conflict may be ongoing and broad.
- dispute
- Dispute is usually an argument about a specific question, right, or payment.
- friction
- Friction is continuing irritation or tension, often less open than conflict.
- struggle
- Struggle emphasizes effort or a difficult fight, not only disagreement.
Opposites
Word family
- conflicting adjective
- Contradictory or unable to agree: conflicting reports.
- conflicted adjective
- Feeling two strong opposing emotions or duties.
Commonly confused: conflict or contrast?
conflict vs contrast
Conflict is opposition or clash; contrast is a difference used for comparison and need not involve struggle.
Practice
Choose the correct preposition: “The new schedule conflicts ___ my evening class.”
Choose one answer.
The verb “conflict” is followed by “with” when things cannot exist together. The other prepositions do not fit this fixed pattern.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “conflict”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.