altercation

noun

al·​ter·​ca·​tion ˌȯl-tər-ˈkā-shən How to pronounce altercation (audio)
: a noisy, heated, angry dispute
He got into several altercations with his boss.
also : noisy controversy
Choose the Right Synonym for altercation

quarrel, wrangle, altercation, squabble mean a noisy dispute usually marked by anger.

quarrel implies heated verbal contention, stressing strained or severed relations which may persist beyond the contention.

a quarrel nearly destroyed the relationship

wrangle suggests undignified and often futile disputation with a noisy insistence on differing opinions.

wrangle interminably about small issues

altercation implies fighting with words as the chief weapon, although it may also connote blows.

a loud public altercation

squabble stresses childish and unseemly dispute over petty matters, but it need not imply bitterness or anger.

a brief squabble over what to do next

Examples of altercation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The 18-year-old’s boyfriend was seen in the footage attempting to stop the altercation. Angel Saunders, People.com, 14 Mar. 2025 The sole witness to the altercation was the car’s driver, who testified at the trial through an Urdu language translator. Rebecca Keegan, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2025 The pilots overheard the altercation and ultimately decided to turn the plane back around to Savannah Hilton Head airport, rather than continue to Miami. Kyla Guilfoil, NBC News, 12 Mar. 2025 According to the Waterbury Police Department, a school resource officer assigned to the middle school responded to an altercation involving four seventh-grade female students on March 3. Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for altercation

Word History

Etymology

Middle English altercacioun, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French altercacion, borrowed from Latin altercātiōn-, altercātiō, from altercārī, altercāre "to dispute vehemently, wrangle" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at altercate

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of altercation was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Altercation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/altercation. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

altercation

noun
al·​ter·​ca·​tion ˌȯl-tər-ˈkā-shən How to pronounce altercation (audio)
: a noisy or angry dispute

More from Merriam-Webster on altercation

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