opposition between two simultaneous but incompatible feelings
"he was immobilized by conflict and indecision"
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
"Grant won a decisive victory in the battle of Chickamauga"
"he lost his romantic ideas about war when he got into a real engagement"
a state of opposition between persons or ideas or interests
"his conflict of interest made him ineligible for the post"
"a conflict of loyalties"
an incompatibility of dates or events
"he noticed a conflict in the dates of the two meetings"
opposition in a work of drama or fiction between characters or forces (especially an opposition that motivates the development of the plot)
"this form of conflict is essential to Mann's writing"
a disagreement or argument about something important
"he had a dispute with his wife"
"there were irreconcilable differences"
"the familiar conflict between Republicans and Democrats"
A clash or disagreement, often violent, between two or more opposing groups or individuals.
"The sudden conflict between the rival gangs left the entire neighborhood in ruins."
In plain English: A conflict is when two people or groups have strong disagreements and cannot agree on something.
"The conflict between the two neighbors lasted for months until they finally signed a peace agreement."
Usage: Use "conflict" to describe a serious disagreement, argument, or state of war between opposing parties. It refers specifically to the clash itself rather than the act of fighting or the duration of the dispute.
go against, as of rules and laws
"He ran afoul of the law"
"This behavior conflicts with our rules"
To be at odds (with); to disagree or be incompatible
"Our schedules are in direct conflict, so we won't be able to meet for lunch today."
In plain English: To conflict means to clash with someone else's plans or opinions so that you cannot both be right at the same time.
"The two schedules conflict, so we cannot meet at that time."
Usage: Use the verb conflict to describe when two ideas, plans, or feelings are mutually exclusive and cannot coexist. It implies an active clash where one option must yield to the other rather than a simple difference of opinion.
The word comes from the Latin conflictus, meaning "striking together," which describes two things hitting each other. English adopted this term to refer to a clash or struggle between opposing forces.