conflict

/ˈkɒnflɪkt/ noun [C or U]

Definition

› a serious disagreement between people, organizations, or countries with opposing opinions: conflict (with sb) (over sth) In that year conflict with the government over pay settlements led to an unprecedented civil service strike.come into conflict (with sb) It is only to be expected that members of your team will come into conflict with each other at some point. It was a controversial decision and caused a number of conflicts within the workforce. Managers will need to ensure that strategies for conflict resolution (= finding a solution to a disagreement) are in place.

› a situation in which there are opposing demands or ideas and a choice has to be made between them: conflict between sth and sth The situation becomes more difficult when there is a conflict between the needs of internal and external stakeholders.come into conflict (with sth) If we go ahead with this, we may come into conflict with health and safety regulations.

→ See also conflict of interest, industrial conflict

(Definition of conflict noun from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Focus on the pronunciation of conflict