confrontation

noun

con·​fron·​ta·​tion ˌkän-(ˌ)frən-ˈtā-shən 

: 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

ˌkän-(ˌ)frən-ˈtā-sh(ə-)nəl 

adjective

confrontationalist

ˌkän-(ˌ)frən-ˈtā-sh(ə-)nə-list 

noun

confrontationist

ˌkän-(ˌ)frən-ˈtā-sh(ə-)nist 

noun or adjective

Synonyms of confrontation

• rivalry
• battle
• struggle
• competition
• duel
• conflict
• warfare
• war
• contention

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

Cellphone video shot by a witness, which begins in the middle of the confrontation, shows the man being held on the ground. — Julianna Bragg, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2026

For me, the most useful part of his story comes before any confrontation. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2026

As the neighborhood blog EV Grieve reported last week, Slotnick was arrested on Friday following a confrontation with some of Styles’ people. — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2026

After Adam confronts Tom and warns him to stay away from Olive, the confrontation is recorded by students and shared on social media, allowing Olive to witness the moment herself. — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see confront

First Known Use

1632, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing confrontation

• self-confrontation

Rhymes for confrontation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation