✨📕 The NEWThe NEW Collegiate Dictionary, 12th Edition Over 5,000 words added — Buy Now! Collegiate DictionaryBuy Now!

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 film builds to a space battle of galactic proportions that pits the Sith and the Jedi against each other in a final confrontation that brings an entire galaxy of characters together on screen. Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Nov. 2025 The confrontations prompted some officers to deploy what appeared to be pepper spray to subdue demonstrators, the official added. Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 29 Nov. 2025 According to Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin, Mississippi State athletic director Zac Selmon was also involved in the confrontation — something Kiffin didn’t appreciate. Cole Sullivan, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025 Video footage of the heated incident, published by TMZ, appears to show Ray J livestreaming a confrontation with Princess Love, 41, over the custody of their children. Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 28 Nov. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Confrontation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confrontation. Accessed 2 Dec. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on confrontation

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!