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Meaning & use

perpetual conflict

phrase·Academicformal

Last updated

UK/pəˈpetʃuəl ˈkɒnflɪkt/
US/pərˈpetʃuəl ˈkɑːnflɪkt/

Meanings

  1. phrasecountable or uncountable

    A state of disagreement or fighting that continues without stopping or ever being fully resolved.

    Grammar: Used with 'a' or without an article: 'a perpetual conflict' or 'perpetual conflict'. Often followed by 'between' or 'over'.

    Patterns

    • perpetual conflict between A and B
    • perpetual conflict over something
    • a state of perpetual conflict
    • live in perpetual conflict

    The border region has been in a state of perpetual conflict for decades, with no peace agreement in sight.

    Their marriage was a perpetual conflict over money and family responsibilities, and neither side ever backed down.

    The novel portrays a perpetual conflict between the desire for freedom and the need for security.

  2. phrasecountable or uncountablefigurative

    An ongoing struggle inside a person's mind between opposing feelings or duties.

    Grammar: Often used with 'between' to name the two opposing forces. More common in writing than in speech.

    Patterns

    • perpetual conflict between A and B
    • in perpetual conflict with oneself
    • a perpetual conflict within someone

    She lived in perpetual conflict between her ambition and her loyalty to her family.

    His diary reveals a perpetual conflict between faith and doubt that he could never resolve.

Common combinations

a state of perpetual conflict
The two communities have existed in a state of perpetual conflict for generations.
perpetual conflict between
The debate reflects a perpetual conflict between individual rights and social order.
perpetual conflict over
There is a perpetual conflict over water rights in the region.
live in perpetual conflict
The two brothers seemed to live in perpetual conflict, arguing at every family gathering.
end a perpetual conflict
The treaty was an attempt to end the perpetual conflict that had drained both countries.

Synonyms and how they differ

endless war
More specific to actual armed fighting; 'perpetual conflict' can also refer to arguments or inner struggles.
constant fighting
Less formal and more conversational; it emphasizes repeated quarrels rather than a permanent state.
ongoing dispute
Suggests a disagreement that has not been settled yet, but it may not feel as endless or permanent as 'perpetual conflict'.
unending struggle
Similar in meaning, but often used for a personal or internal effort rather than a conflict between groups.

Opposites

lasting peacepermanent harmony

Word family

perpetually adverb
In a way that never stops or ends.
perpetuate verb
To make something continue, especially something undesirable.
conflicting adjective
Being in disagreement or opposition.

Commonly confused: perpetual conflict or perpetual motion? perpetual conflict or continual conflict?

perpetual conflict vs perpetual motion

A scientific idea about a machine that moves forever without energy; not related to conflict.

perpetual conflict vs continual conflict

'Continual' means happening repeatedly with breaks, while 'perpetual' means never stopping. 'Continual conflict' suggests repeated outbreaks, not a permanent state.

Practice

The two countries have been locked in a __________ over the disputed territory for over a century.

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