internal strife

Meanings

1. 1noununcountableformal

   Bitter conflict or disagreement between groups within the same country, party or organization.

   Grammar: Uncountable: the country suffered internal strife, not internal strifes.

   Patterns

   • suffer from internal strife
   • torn by internal strife

   The country was weakened by years of internal strife.

   Internal strife within the party cost it the election.

   The company struggled with internal strife after the merger.

2. 2noununcountablefigurative

   Personal conflict inside a person's own mind, such as a struggle between wishes or duties.

   Grammar: Used figuratively for emotional struggle: he felt internal strife.

   Patterns

   • feel internal strife
   • internal strife over something

   She felt internal strife over whether to move abroad.

   His internal strife showed in his hesitation.

   The film explores the hero's internal strife.

Common combinations

torn by internal strife

The kingdom was torn by internal strife.

cause internal strife

The decision caused internal strife among the staff.

suffer internal strife

The group suffered internal strife for years.

end internal strife

Peace talks aimed to end internal strife.

political internal strife

Political internal strife slowed reform.

Synonyms and how they differ

infighting

Infighting is more informal and suggests squabbling between members of a group, while internal strife can mean broader or deeper conflict.

civil unrest

Civil unrest refers to public disorder, such as protests, while internal strife includes quiet political conflict.

discord

Discord means disagreement and lack of harmony, but is usually less violent than strife.

turmoil

Turmoil stresses confusion and disorder rather than opposing sides.

Opposites

Word family

strife noun

angry or bitter conflict

internal adjective

inside a group, country or person

internally adverb

on the inside

civil strife noun

conflict between groups within a country

Commonly confused: internal strife or strike?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “internal strife”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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