conflict
    n 1: an open clash between two opposing groups (or individuals);
         "the harder the conflict the more glorious the triumph"--
         Thomas Paine; "police tried to control the battle between
         the pro- and anti-abortion mobs" [syn: conflict,
         struggle, battle]
    2: opposition between two simultaneous but incompatible
       feelings; "he was immobilized by conflict and indecision"
    3: a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course
       of a war; "Grant won a decisive victory in the battle of
       Chickamauga"; "he lost his romantic ideas about war when he
       got into a real engagement" [syn: battle, conflict,
       fight, engagement]
    4: a state of opposition between persons or ideas or interests;
       "his conflict of interest made him ineligible for the post";
       "a conflict of loyalties"
    5: an incompatibility of dates or events; "he noticed a conflict
       in the dates of the two meetings"
    6: opposition in a work of drama or fiction between characters
       or forces (especially an opposition that motivates the
       development of the plot); "this form of conflict is essential
       to Mann's writing"
    7: a disagreement or argument about something important; "he had
       a dispute with his wife"; "there were irreconcilable
       differences"; "the familiar conflict between Republicans and
       Democrats" [syn: dispute, difference, difference of
       opinion, conflict]
    v 1: be in conflict; "The two proposals conflict!"
    2: go against, as of rules and laws; "He ran afoul of the law";
       "This behavior conflicts with our rules" [syn: conflict,
       run afoul, infringe, contravene]

Conflict \Con"flict\, n. [L. conflictus a striking together, fr.
   confligere, -flictum, to strike together, to fight: cf. F.
   conflit, formerly also conflict. See Conflict, v.]
   1. A striking or dashing together; violent collision; as, a
      conflict of elements or waves.
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   2. A strife for the mastery; hostile contest; battle;
      struggle; fighting.
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            As soon as he [Atterbury] was himself again, he
            became eager for action and conflict. --Macaulay.
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            An irrepressible conflict between opposing and
            enduring forces.                      --W. H.
                                                  Seward.
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   Conflict of laws, that branch of jurisprudence which deals
      with individual litigation claimed to be subject to the
      conflicting laws of two or more states or nations; --
      often used as synonymous with Private international law.

   Syn: Contest; collision; struggle; combat; strife;
        contention; battle; fight; encounter. See Contest.
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Conflict \Con*flict"\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Conflicted; p. pr.
   & vb. n. Conflicting.] [L. conflictus, p. p. of confligere
   to conflict (cf. conflictare); con- + fligere to strike; cf.
   Gr. fli`bein, qli`bein, to press, L. flagrum whip.]
   1. To strike or dash together; to meet in violent collision;
      to collide. --Shak.
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            Fire and water conflicting together.  --Bacon.
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   2. To maintain a conflict; to contend; to engage in strife or
      opposition; to struggle.
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            A man would be content to . . . conflict with great
            difficulties, in hopes of a mighty reward. --Abp.
                                                  Tillotson.
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   3. To be in opposition; to be contradictory.
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            The laws of the United States and of the individual
            States may, in some cases, conflict with each other.
                                                  --Wheaton.

   Syn: To fight; contend; contest; resist; struggle; combat;
        strive; battle.
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CONFLICT. The opposition or difference between two judicial jurisdictions, 
when they both claim the right to decide a cause, or where they both declare 
their incompetency. The first is called a positive conflict, and the, latter 
a negative conflict.