confrontation
gb/kˌɑnfɹəntˈeɪʃən/ us/kˌɑnfɹəntˈeɪʃən/
B2
English
~ 6800
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
event
1
hostile meeting between opponents
A time when people or groups meet and strongly disagree in an angry or tense way, often face to face.
Usage pattern:
a confrontation between [people/groups] or with [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "confrontation" with "conversation" or "conference" because they look similar. "Confrontation" always involves strong disagreement or tension, while "conversation" is just talking and "conference" is a formal meeting. Learners also sometimes say "confrontation on someone"; the usual prepositions are "confrontation with someone" or "confrontation between people/groups."
Synonyms
conflict (More general; can be long-lasting or indirect, while a confrontation is usually a specific moment or meeting.)
|
clash (Suggests a sharp, often brief fight or strong disagreement, sometimes less formal than confrontation.)
|
showdown (Informal; suggests a final or decisive confrontation that will settle the issue.)
Antonyms
agreement (Describes a situation where people share the same view instead of opposing each other.)
Collocations
violent confrontation
|direct confrontation
|armed confrontation
|avoid confrontation
|come into confrontation
|face a confrontation
Themes
conflict
|society
|emotions
|relationships
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The protest ended in a violent confrontation between demonstrators and the police.
- Their long-running disagreement finally led to a heated confrontation in the office.
- The debate turned into a personal confrontation between the two candidates.
- To avoid a direct confrontation, management announced the changes by email.
- There were several armed confrontations along the border last year.
Learner examples
- There was a loud confrontation between the two neighbors.
- The meeting turned into a confrontation with the manager.
- Police tried to stop a confrontation between the two groups.
- He does not like confrontation and stays quiet in arguments.
- The game ended with a confrontation between the players.
Noun
C1
event
2
direct facing of difficulty
A time when you must face a hard or unpleasant fact or problem and cannot avoid it.
Usage pattern:
a confrontation with [problem/situation/fact]
Common mistake:
Learners may think this meaning always involves another person, but here "confrontation" can be only between a person and a situation, feeling, or fact (for example, "a confrontation with reality").
Synonyms
reckoning (Often suggests a serious or final moment of accepting the results of past actions, sometimes with moral judgment.)
|
encounter (More general and neutral for meeting something; does not always imply the same level of emotional difficulty.)
Antonyms
avoidance (Describes choosing not to face the difficult fact or problem, which is the opposite of confrontation in this sense.)
Collocations
a painful confrontation with reality
|a personal confrontation with fear
|an emotional confrontation with the past
|a confrontation with the truth
|a confrontation with one’s own limits
Themes
emotions
|psychology
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The diagnosis forced him into a painful confrontation with his own mortality.
- Leaving home was her first real confrontation with adult responsibilities.
- Therapy often involves an honest confrontation with past trauma.
- The crisis led to a collective confrontation with the country’s history.
- The failure was a harsh confrontation with the limits of their strategy.
Learner examples
- Losing his job was a hard confrontation with reality.
- The exam was a confrontation with how little he had studied.
- Travel gave her a confrontation with different ways of living.
- The talk was a gentle confrontation with their mistakes.
- Her illness brought a sudden confrontation with death.
Noun
technical
C2
action
3
directly challenging someone’s behavior
In therapy, a way of speaking where the therapist clearly points out a person’s problem or wrong behavior, so the person can see it and change.
Usage pattern:
use [confrontation] as a therapeutic technique
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize that in psychology, "confrontation" can be a planned, professional technique, not just a fight or argument.
Synonyms
challenge (In counseling, can mean questioning a client’s views; less specific than the technical term "confrontation.")
Antonyms
avoidance (Here, avoiding raising difficult issues with a client is the opposite of using confrontation as a technique.)
Collocations
therapeutic confrontation
|supportive confrontation
|gentle confrontation
|use confrontation
|avoid harsh confrontation
Themes
psychology
|health
|communication
|education
Examples
- In some counseling styles, confrontation is used to help clients see the gap between their words and their actions.
- The therapist chose gentle confrontation rather than criticism to address his self-destructive behavior.
- Poorly timed confrontation in therapy can cause clients to shut down or leave treatment.
Learner examples
- The therapist used careful confrontation to talk about his drinking.
- In this kind of therapy, confrontation is a normal tool.
- Too much confrontation can make the client feel attacked.
- Good confrontation should be honest but kind.
Grammar
Dictionary form
confrontation
IPA
GB/kˌɑnfɹəntˈeɪʃən/
US/kˌɑnfɹəntˈeɪʃən/
Syllables & stress
con - front - a - tion (4 syllables)
Stress on 3rd syllable (a)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: confrontation
- Plural: confrontation, confrontations
Word family
Forms
confrontations
noun
Core family
confront
verb B1
confrontational
adjective B2
Negative and opposite forms
nonconfrontational
adjective
Expressions
avoid confrontation
1/əvˈɔɪd kˌɑnfɹəntˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
try not to have conflict
To do things so that you do not have a direct fight or argument with other people.
Examples
- She tends to avoid confrontation by agreeing with everyone.
- The government is trying to avoid confrontation with the protesters.
- He walked away to avoid confrontation with his neighbor.
come into confrontation with
1/kˈʌm ˈɪntu kˌɑnfɹəntˈeɪʃən wˈɪθ/
fixed phrase
enter into conflict with
To get into a serious and tense fight or argument with a person, group, or authority.
Examples
- The union has come into confrontation with the company over pay cuts.
- Environmental activists often come into confrontation with local businesses.
- The new law may come into confrontation with the country’s constitution.
in direct confrontation with
1/ˈɪn dɪɹˈɛkt kˌɑnfɹəntˈeɪʃən wˈɪθ/
fixed phrase
openly and directly opposing
Openly and clearly fighting or strongly disagreeing with a person, group, rule, or idea.
Examples
- The proposal is in direct confrontation with existing regulations.
- Her comments put her in direct confrontation with the rest of the team.
- The new policy is in direct confrontation with the company’s values.
open confrontation
1/ˈoʊpən kˌɑnfɹəntˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
public, clearly visible conflict
A fight or strong argument that is clear to everyone and not hidden.
Examples
- The disagreement finally turned into open confrontation on social media.
- Both leaders are trying to avoid open confrontation before the election.
- Years of tension ended in open confrontation in the street.