Etymologically
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conflict

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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
  • 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