altercation
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of altercation
1350–1400; Middle English altercacioun < Latin altercātiōn- (stem of altercātiō ). See altercate, -ion
Explanation
Altercation is a nicer word for "quarrel," which is a nicer word for "fight." Fight is a simple, effective one-syllable word, while quarrel is a softer, two-syllable word, and altercation is a very civilized-sounding four-syllable word for the same uncivilized thing: a noisy argument between angry people. Someone who gets a black eye fighting for a parking spot might — after cooling down — describe the incident as an altercation rather than as a knock-down, drag-out brawl.
Vocabulary lists containing altercation
To Kill a Mockingbird
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Grade 9, List 3
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1984
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Police say the brothers insulted a woman during an altercation over loud noise.
From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026
A resident of Clacton, Worley made news after appearing briefly in the TV show Married at First Sight UK before being removed after an altercation with another contestant.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
Caitlin Clark was one of five players to receive a technical foul following an altercation with DeWanna Bonner.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026
The Grammy winner’s Ring camera caught the altercation when her private security intervened and tried to get Applegate to leave.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026
My altercation with Russ left me shaking—the idea that I could make it this far only to be turned away by a teenager with a pierced lip was horrifying.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
Members of the Argentina team and backroom staff were involved in altercations with Spain players who had begun to celebrate their World Cup success.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
As a result, the public has been kept from one of the chief ways it has to hold officers involved in such altercations accountable: their identity.
From Salon ● Feb. 2, 2026
The Diddy trial has been full of nonstop drama: from constant bickering between the legal teams to outbursts and altercations inside and outside the courthouse, all peppering a constant stream of utterly shocking testimonies.
From Slate ● Jun. 10, 2025
“We have received some reports of altercations and are continuing to monitor and work toward a peaceful conclusion to the night.”
From Seattle Times ● May 7, 2024
I was the boy with the altercations and the big file.
From "Ghost" by Jason Reynolds
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.