Noun: confrontation ,kón,frún'tey-shun or ,kón-frun'tey-shun
- A hostile disagreement face-to-face
"The two rivals had a confrontation in the boardroom over the company's future direction";
- encounter, showdown, face-off, smackdown [N. Amer, informal]
- The act of hostile groups opposing each other
"the government was not ready for a confrontation with the unions";
- opposition
- A bold challenge
"His confrontation with the CEO led to a heated argument"
- Discord resulting from a clash of ideas or opinions
"The board meeting turned into a confrontation between management and employees"; "Their differing views led to a public confrontation"
- A focussed comparison; bringing together for a careful comparison
"The confrontation of the two theories revealed their strengths and weaknesses"
Derived forms: confrontations
Type of: challenge, comparing, comparison, disagreement, discord, dissension, dissonance, resistance
Encyclopedia: Confrontation