strife

noun

ˈstrīf 

1

a

: bitter sometimes violent conflict or dissension

political strife

b

: an act of contention : fight, struggle

2

: exertion or contention for superiority

3

archaic : earnest endeavor

strifeless

ˈstrī-fləs 

adjective

Synonyms

• conflict
• disaccord
• discord
• discordance
• discordancy
• disharmony
• dissension
• dissention
• dissent
• dissidence
• dissonance
• disunion
• disunity
• division
• friction
• infighting
• inharmony
• schism
• variance
• war
• warfare

Choose the Right Synonym for strife

discord, strife, conflict, contention, dissension, variance mean a state or condition marked by a lack of agreement or harmony.

discord implies an intrinsic or essential lack of harmony producing quarreling, factiousness, or antagonism.

a political party long racked by discord

strife emphasizes a struggle for superiority rather than the incongruity or incompatibility of the persons or things involved.

during his brief reign the empire was never free of civil strife

conflict usually stresses the action of forces in opposition but in static applications implies an irreconcilability as of duties or desires.

the conflict of freedom and responsibility

contention applies to strife or competition that shows itself in quarreling, disputing, or controversy.

several points of contention about the new zoning law

dissension implies strife or discord and stresses a division into factions.

religious dissension threatened to split the colony

variance implies a clash between persons or things owing to a difference in nature, opinion, or interest.

cultural variances that work against a national identity

Examples of strife in a Sentence

in order to avoid family strife, the children spend equal time during the holidays with both of their grandmothers

bitter strife between the two political factions

Recent Examples on the Web

Economic Relief: Years of strife in Syria ruined the country’s energy sector, battered its currency and strangled growth. —Carlotta Gall, New York Times, 1 Jan. 2025

That has led them to focus more on their core fossil fuel businesses at a time of geopolitical strife. —Mike Allen, Axios, 31 Dec. 2024

Asking Eric: Husband’s grocery splurges create strife Daily horoscope for Dec. 20, 2024 Photos PHOTOS: Denver Broncos fall 34-27 to Los Angeles Chargers in NFL Week 16 The Denver Broncos faced the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on December 19, 2024. —The Denver Post, 21 Dec. 2024

Most critically, those who build Syria’s next political system will need to overcome the most important legacy of the half century of Assad rule: the ethnic and sectarian conflict and strife nurtured by the Assads. —Sefa Secen / Made By History, TIME, 17 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English strif, from Anglo-French estrif, estri, of Germanic origin; akin to Middle Dutch striden to fight, Old High German strītan to quarrel — more at stride

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

strife

noun

ˈstrīf 

1

: bitter sometimes violent disagreement

political strife

2

: struggle entry 2 sense 2, fight