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
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Back in January, Kerley was hit with a domestic violence charge in an unrelated incident from last year, after he was arrested following an altercation with police. Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 3 May 2025 This comes after an altercation with Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo at the conclusion of the team's playoff series. Matt Levine, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025 Soon after, a friend of Thomas’s, Kelvin Watts, had an altercation with Copeland at a club. Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025 According to a police statement shared on Facebook, officers who were near the 900 block of North Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach at around 11:50 p.m. local time on Saturday, April 26, saw an altercation break out between multiple people. Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 27 Apr. 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 8 May. 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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