altercation
A noisy, heated, and public argument or disagreement, typically between individuals. It often implies a brief but intense verbal exchange that may occasionally escalate into physical contact.
Exemples
3 sur 5A brief altercation broke out between the two drivers following the minor fender bender.
A short, loud argument occurred between the two motorists after the small car accident.
The security footage captured the verbal altercation that preceded the suspect's removal from the premises.
The surveillance video recorded the spoken dispute that happened before the suspect was taken off the property.
I almost got into an altercation with a guy at the concert who kept pushing into me.
I nearly had a shouting match with a man at the show who wouldn't stop bumping into me.
Famille de mots
Astuce mémo
Think of the word 'alter' which means 'other'. An altercation is what happens when you have a loud problem with an 'other' person.
Quiz rapide
The referee had to separate the players after a physical _______ broke out on the field.
Correct !
La bonne réponse est : altercation
Exemples
A brief altercation broke out between the two drivers following the minor fender bender.
everydayA short, loud argument occurred between the two motorists after the small car accident.
The security footage captured the verbal altercation that preceded the suspect's removal from the premises.
formalThe surveillance video recorded the spoken dispute that happened before the suspect was taken off the property.
I almost got into an altercation with a guy at the concert who kept pushing into me.
informalI nearly had a shouting match with a man at the show who wouldn't stop bumping into me.
Researchers observed that instances of public altercation increased significantly during periods of extreme heat.
academicScholars noted that cases of public quarreling rose noticeably during very hot weather.
The HR department intervened after a heated altercation occurred between the project managers during the board meeting.
businessThe human resources office stepped in after a sharp disagreement happened between the leaders during the executive session.
Famille de mots
Collocations courantes
Phrases Courantes
involved in an altercation
participating in a loud public dispute
lead to an altercation
to result in a heated argument
avoid an altercation
to prevent a potential argument from happening
Souvent confondu avec
An alteration is a change or modification to something, whereas an altercation is a noisy argument.
An affray is a specific legal term for a group fight in a public place that causes terror, while an altercation is more general and often just verbal.
Notes d'usage
The word is most commonly used in news reports, legal contexts, or formal descriptions of public disturbances. It is stronger than 'disagreement' but usually less severe than a 'riot' or 'brawl'.
Erreurs courantes
Learners often misspell it as 'alteration' because the words look similar. Additionally, learners sometimes use it to describe a long-term conflict, but it usually refers to a specific, short-lived incident.
Astuce mémo
Think of the word 'alter' which means 'other'. An altercation is what happens when you have a loud problem with an 'other' person.
Origine du mot
From the Latin 'altercare' (to wrangle or dispute with another), derived from 'alter' (other).
Modèles grammaticaux
Contexte culturel
In American and British English, this term is frequently used by police spokespeople and journalists to describe street fights or public disputes without assigning immediate blame.
Quiz rapide
The referee had to separate the players after a physical _______ broke out on the field.
Correct !
La bonne réponse est : altercation
Vocabulaire associé
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