confrontation

noun

Saykon-fruhn-TAY-shuhnUS/ˌkɑn.fɹənˈteɪ.ʃən//ˌkɒn.fɹənˈteɪ.ʃən/AUS/ˌkɔn.fɹənˈtæɪ.ʃən/

Pluralconfrontations

2 meanings of confrontation

1
nouncountable or uncountable
The act of challenging or opposing someone directly, especially in person.
The staff meeting ended in a tense confrontation between the two managers.
He always preferred quiet negotiation to open confrontation.
Similarshowdown
Oppositeavoidance, conciliation, cooperation
2
nouncountable or uncountable
A military conflict or hostile standoff between opposing armed forces.
The naval confrontation in the strait raised fears of a wider war.
Both nations worked to avoid direct confrontation along the disputed frontier.
Similarclash, conflict, standoff, engagement, encounter
Oppositepeace, truce

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of confrontation apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

From Middle French, formed from 'confront' plus the suffix '-ation'.