Altercation

How to spell altercation

11 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce altercation

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does altercation mean?

1. nounA noisy or heated argument or confrontation between people.

Altercation in a sentence

• The two drivers had a brief altercation over the parking space.

• Security staff stepped in to break up the altercation at the bar.

Where does altercation come from?

Language of origin: Latin

Altercation comes from the Latin altercatio, a noun meaning 'a heated dispute' or 'wrangling', which was formed from the verb altercari, 'to quarrel back and forth'. That verb was built on alter, the Latin word for 'the other' or 'another', so the original image is literally of two people contending against each other, each taking the opposing side. English took the word in the late 1300s through Old French, where it appeared as altercation with much the same meaning it has today. The shared root alter still surfaces in familiar relatives such as 'alternative', 'alternate' and 'alter', all of which carry the idea of otherness or change. For spelling, it helps to remember that the troublesome middle is 'alter', the same four letters as the everyday verb meaning 'to change', followed by the regular ending -cation.

How the word is built

• alter- (from Latin alter: other, another)
• -cat- (from altercari: to dispute)
• -ation (noun-forming suffix)