confrontation

noun

con·​fron·​ta·​tion ˌkän-(ˌ)frən-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce confrontation (audio)
: the act of confronting : the state of being confronted: such as
a
: a face-to-face meeting
a confrontation between the suspect and the victim
b
: the clashing of forces or ideas : conflict
a violent confrontation between rival gangs
c
: comparison
The flashbacks bring into meaningful confrontation present and past, near and far.R. J. Clements
confrontational adjective
confrontationist noun or adjective

Examples of confrontation in a Sentence

There were several violent confrontations between rival gangs. He would prefer not to have a confrontation with the authorities. a series of confrontations between residents and police We want cooperation, not confrontation. We seek to avoid military confrontation at all costs.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The camera was quickly turned off, but Mason’s indelible memory of that confrontation lives on, not only in his mind but also in the new movie September 5, in limited theaters Dec. 13. Olivia B. Waxman, TIME, 12 Dec. 2024 For those families who consider gift giving a nonnegotiable aspect of the holidays, Ward encourages people to buy something small to avoid confrontations. Julianna Bragg, CNN, 11 Dec. 2024 But if there’s an inkling you might be faced with political or ideological confrontation, don’t force socializing. Julia Sullivan, SELF, 6 Dec. 2024 Like Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro in Michael Mann’s Heat, Hoult and Law only come face to face with each other a few times before their penultimate confrontation. Ali Winston, WIRED, 6 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for confrontation 

Word History

Etymology

see confront

First Known Use

1632, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of confrontation was in 1632

Dictionary Entries Near confrontation

Cite this Entry

“Confrontation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confrontation. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on confrontation

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