altercation

noun

al·​ter·​ca·​tion ˌȯl-tər-ˈkā-shən 

: a noisy, heated, angry dispute

He got into several altercations with his boss.

also : noisy controversy

Synonyms

• argle-bargle [chiefly British]
• argument
• argy-bargy [chiefly British]
• battle royal
• bicker
• brawl
• contretemps
• controversy
• cross fire
• disagreement
• dispute
• donnybrook
• falling-out
• fight
• hassle
• imbroglio
• kickup
• misunderstanding
• quarrel
• rhubarb
• row
• scrap
• set-to
• spat
• squabble
• tiff
• wrangle

Choose the Right Synonym for 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.

a quarrel nearly destroyed the relationship

wrangle suggests undignified and often futile disputation with a noisy insistence on differing opinions.

wrangle interminably about small issues

altercation implies fighting with words as the chief weapon, although it may also connote blows.

a loud public altercation

squabble stresses childish and unseemly dispute over petty matters, but it need not imply bitterness or anger.

a brief squabble over what to do next

Examples of altercation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Reports indicate Payne had an altercation in the lobby of the Casa Sur Hotel earlier in the day, and hotel manager called 911 over concerns about the singer’s behavior. —Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 17 Oct. 2024

Michael Dunbar, 43, died on Monday after the altercation, according to the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry (ADCRR). —Landon Mion, Fox News, 16 Oct. 2024

Chatter of an Oasis reunion began in late summer of this year, after a 15-year split following a physical altercation between the two brothers in 2009 ahead of a concert in Paris, which led to Noel Gallagher’s departure from the group. —Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2024

In the first trial, prosecutors painted Gonzalez as a wannabe cop whose massive overreaction turned a minor altercation between young people into a lethal situation. —Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English altercacioun, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French altercacion, borrowed from Latin altercātiōn-, altercātiō, from altercārī, altercāre "to dispute vehemently, wrangle" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at altercate

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

altercation

noun

al·​ter·​ca·​tion ˌȯl-tər-ˈkā-shən 

: a noisy or angry dispute