strife

noun \ ˈstrīf \

Updated on: 16 Apr 2018

Definition of strife

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

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strifeless

play \ˈstrī-fləs\ adjective

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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 of strife from the Web

Humans around the world in many different times have faced and had to adapt to climate change, economic strife and technological innovations.

— julia kate clark, Smithsonian, "As Mongolia Melts, Looters Close In On Priceless Artifacts," 11 Apr. 2018
Throughout the course of his decorated and complicated career, Orson Welles was no stranger to studio strife, clashing with producers during the making of films such as Touch of Evil, Don Quixote, and Chimes of Midnight.

— rebecca keegan, HWD, "Orson Welles’s Daughter Begs Netflix to ‘Please Reconsider’ its Cannes Ban," 11 Apr. 2018
However, in 2016 the world got a glimpse into their lives after Beyoncé released Lemonade—an emotional, fiery album that alluded to marital strife and, eventually, marital forgiveness.

— elise taylor, Vogue, "In Honor of Their 10th Anniversary, a Look Back at Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s Relationship," 4 Apr. 2018
In other words, the research seems to refute the idea that there's some sort of generational strife, instead showing that the majority of women across all age groups support #MeToo.

— brittney mcnamara, Teen Vogue, "A New Survey Shows Women of All Ages Support #MeToo," 20 Mar. 2018
History has shown that the most meaningful music comes from strife and struggle.

— patrick crowley, Billboard, "9 SXSW Performers Sound Off on the Importance of LGBTQ Representation in the Music Industry," 9 Mar. 2018
Recent political news can seem like an all-consuming sideshow, with each day bringing more gory details of national strife and division.

— hank gilman, Fortune, "4 Ways to Keep Politics From Dividing the Workplace," 23 Feb. 2018
The poster alludes to the belief that China is close to restoring its rightful place as a leading power in the world after decades of poverty, strife and embarrassment by other countries.

— javier c. hernÁndez, New York Times, "The Propaganda I See on My Morning Commute," 28 Jan. 2018
The poster alludes to the belief that China is close to restoring its rightful place as a leading power in the world after decades of poverty, strife and embarrassment by other countries.

— javier c. hernandez, The Seattle Times, "In Beijing, it’s hard to avoid Xi Jinping’s prolific propaganda," 28 Jan. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of strife

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

strife Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of 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.