strife

noun

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 adjective
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
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.
As Mary’s family attempts to rally around the Downton heiress, Robert (Hugh Bonneville) and Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) are navigating their way through more financial strife, with those downstairs also left to ponder what the future holds for aristocratic homes like theirs. Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2025 Funny enough, there was a moment in time where this project may not have even happened because of a strife between Jeezy and Drama. Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 15 Sep. 2025 That moment of silence itself soon erupted into House strife, with shouting on the floor. Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 11 Sep. 2025 Over the past 20 years of Black List darlings and Edgar Wright rip-offs, the American film industry has established a new archetype of cinema filled with quippy antiheroes, gory allegories for domestic strife, and character actors rattling off reference humor. Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 11 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for strife

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of strife was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Strife.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strife. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

strife

noun
1
: bitter sometimes violent disagreement
political strife
2

More from Merriam-Webster on strife

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