conflict

Pronunciation

• IPA: noun: UK /ˈkɒn.flɪkt/, US /ˈkɑːn.flɪkt/; verb: /kənˈflɪkt/^[1]

Etymology

The noun is inherited from Middle English conflict,^[2][3] from Old French conflit and directly borrowed from Latin cōnflīctus (“a striking together”),^[4][5] in Late Latin “a fight, conflict”,^[4] from the past participle of cōnflīgere (“to strike together, clash, fight”),^[4][5] from con- “together” and flīgere (“to strike”).^[4][5][2] Barnhart compares Greek phlíbein “to press, squeeze”.^[5] The verb, Middle English conflicten, is from the same Latin past participle.^[6][5] It is related to afflict, inflict and profligate.^[4][7][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

“An armed encounter, a battle”: the early 15th century in Etymonline,^[4] probably before 1425 in Barnhart, in a translation of Higden's Polychronicon,^[5] and about 1440 in the OED.^[8] The verb, “to contend, fight”, is from the same time.^[4][5][8]

Semantic evolution

A struggle or quarrel is from the mid-15th century,^[4] and in the 15th century it was also an inner mental or spiritual struggle, as against temptation.^[4][8] The verb, of interests or opinions, “to be in opposition, at variance”, is from the 1640s, 1647 in the OED.^[4][8] Conflict of interest was in use by 1743.^[4] The psychological sense, incompatible urges in one person, is from 1859,^[4][8] hence conflicted.^[4] “The clashing of opposed principles” is from 1875.^[4][8]

Timeline

• c. 1425 – a battle; verb, to fight.^[5][4]
• mid-15th century – a quarrel; an inner struggle.^[4]
• 1640s – verb, to be at variance.^[4]
• 1743 – conflict of interest.^[4]
• 1859 – in psychology.^[4][8]
• 1875 – a clash of principles.^[4][8]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. A state of open, often prolonged fighting; a battle or war.
2. A clash between incompatible people, ideas or interests.
3. In psychology, a struggle within a person between opposing needs or drives.

Verb

1. To be or come into opposition; to differ: the accounts conflict.
2. (archaic) To fight.

Word family

• confliction
• conflictive
• conflictful
• conflictual
• preconflict
• conflicted
• conflict of interest
• role conflict

Related words

• afflict
• inflict
• profligate
• conflicting

Usage notes

The American Heritage distinguishes conflict, both open fighting between groups and a struggle within one person, from contest, combat, fight, affray and discord.^[9]

References

1. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
2. ^ a b The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (2000), 4th ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
3. ^ Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c d e f g h Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
6. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
7. ^ Klein, Ernest. A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language. 2 vols. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1966–1967.
8. ^ a b c d e f g h Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
9. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin