altercation

noun al·ter·ca·tion \ ˌȯl-tər-ˈkā-shən \

|Updated on: 10 Jun 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Definition of altercation

: a noisy, heated, angry dispute

He got into several altercations with his boss.

; also : noisy controversy

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Recent Examples of altercation from the Web

Well after the altercation is over and Brown is in custody, the officer who initiated the stop continues his back-and-forth with Brown over whose actions exacerbated the situation.

— eliott c. mclaughlin, CNN, "Milwaukee police stepped on Sterling Brown's ankle, mocked him, bodycam footage shows," 6 June 2018
The altercation occurred at the Bay Lodging Resort in Put-in-Bay, Ohio, on Lake Erie.

— blair kerkhoff, kansascity, "Chiefs' Kareem Hunt involved in altercation, according to TMZ report," 6 June 2018
Love left the bench to argue the flagrant call and was on the court when the altercation started.

— BostonGlobe.com, "Tom Brady has been working out in Foxborough after all," 2 June 2018
Media: Sports Illustrated Love left the bench to argue the flagrant call and was on the court when the altercation started.

— josh dubow, Houston Chronicle, "Cavs' Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson avoid suspension for Game 1 altercation," 2 June 2018
Love left the bench to argue the flagrant call and was on the court when the altercation started.

— josh dubow, chicagotribune.com, "Cavs' Tristan Thompson, Kevin Love avoid suspension for Game 1 altercation," 1 June 2018
The altercation stems from Rhymefest’s claims that West has played no role in the operations of Donda’s House, a non-profit organization named after his late mother.

— jenn m. jackson, Teen Vogue, "Kim Kardashian Asking Donald Trump to Pardon Just One Person Isn't Really Prison Reform," 1 June 2018
The 76-year-old man's wife called the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department around 6:20 p.m saying that someone had forcibly entered their home and an altercation had begun between the elderly homeowner and the younger man.

— jordyn noennig, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Man who died during a home burglary in Wales had drugs in his system, according to the sheriff's department," 31 May 2018
Police have not discussed a possible motive but said the altercation may have been related to a fight that occurred at the school.

— — peter hermann, Washington Post, "Teen, 16, charged in death of 15-year-old," 30 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'altercation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of altercation

see altercate

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

altercation Synonyms

Synonyms

argument, battle royal, bicker, brawl, controversy, cross fire, disagreement, dispute, donnybrook, falling-out, fight, hassle, imbroglio, misunderstanding, quarrel, rhubarb, row, scrap, spat, squabble, tiff, wrangle;

feud, vendetta;

attack, contention, dissension (also dissention);

debate, difference, disputation;

fuss, objection, protest, protestation;

fisticuffs, fracas, fray, free-for-all, melee (also mêlée);

catfight;

Synonym Discussion of altercation

quarrel, wrangle, altercation, squabble mean a noisy dispute usually marked by anger. quarrel implies heated verbal contention, stressing strained or severed relations which may persist beyond the contention.