conflict
con·flict/ˈkɑn.flɪkt/noun, verb
conflict is spelled C-O-N-F-L-I-C-T: 8 letters and 2 syllables (con·flict). It appears 44 times per million words in written English, the 2,290th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, conflict means “A clash or disagreement, often violent, between two or more opposing groups or individuals” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of conflict is conflicts.
How many letters and syllables are in conflict?
| Letters | 8: C-O-N-F-L-I-C-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: con·flict |
| In writing | 44 times per million words; the 2,290th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is conflict?
Conflict appears 44 times per million words in written English, the 2,290th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce conflict?
- UK /ˈkɒn.flɪkt/
- British /ˈkɔn.flɪkt/
- US /ˈkɑn.flɪkt/
As a verb (“To be at odds (with); to disagree or be incompatible”): /kənˈflɪkt/, /kənˈflɪkt/, /ˈkɑn.flɪkt/.
Conflict has 2 syllables, split con·flict in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-conflict-noun.ogg, En-us-conflict-verb.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of conflict
- conflicts plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- conflicting participle, present
- conflicted participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does conflict mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A clash or disagreement, often violent, between two or more opposing groups or individuals.
The conflict between the government and the rebels began three years ago.
- 2
An incompatibility, as of two things that cannot be simultaneously fulfilled.
I wanted to attend the meeting but there's a conflict in my schedule that day.
- 3
in fiction/literature, opposing forces that create uncertainty as to whether the character(s) will achieve their goal(s).
verb
- 1
To be at odds (with); to disagree or be incompatible
- 2
To overlap (with), as in a schedule.
Your conference call conflicts with my older one: please reschedule.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Conflict in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | conflit , incompatibilité |
| German | Konflikt, Streit, Gegensatz , Inkompatibilität |
| Portuguese | conflito , conflitar , coincidir |
| Spanish | conflicto , discrepancia , discrepar, estar reñido, confligir, conflictuarse |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does conflict come from?
From Latin cōnflīctus, from com- + flīctus, past participle of conflīgō (“to strike together”), from com- + flīgō (“strike”) (whence con-).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).