[f. L. conflict-, ppl. stem of conflīgĕre to strike together, clash, conflict, contend, fight (whence the freq. conflictāre), f. con- together + flīgĕre to strike. No corresp. vb. is recorded in F. dicts.; It has confliggere, conflissi, conflitto.]
1. intr. To fight, contend, do battle.
1432–50. trans. Higden (Rolls), I. 139. Vsenge not to conflicte as with theire enmyes.
1591. Harington, Orl. Fur., XXVI. lxxiv. First when to get Marfisa he had thought, He had conflicted more then twise or thrise.
1791. Cowper, Iliad, XIII. 870. These Two with Hector and his host Conflicted.
1823. Shelley, Hellas, 30. The army encamp’d upon the Cydaris … saw two hosts conflicting in the air.
b. transf. of the strife of natural forces.
1626. Bacon, Sylva (J.). You shall hear under the earth a horrible thundering of fire and water conflicting together.
1681. H. More, Exp. Dan., ii. 26. They [the winds] all conflicted one with another at the same time.
2. fig. To contend, strive, struggle with.
1628. Sir S. D’Ewes, Jrnl. (1783), 41. Fearing it might be a temptation of the devil’s, he had conflicted with it.
1670. Devout Commun. (1688), 13. Seest thou him not fastned to the Cross, conflicting with his Father’s wrath?
1715. F. Brokesby, Life Dodwell, 16. Understanding the Difficulties, with which this … Nephew conflicted.
1721. Strype, Eccl. Mem., II. I. xxiv. 197. He had both publickly and privatly conflicted with the adversaries … with admirable strength of learning.
3. fig. Of interests, opinions, statements, feelings, etc.: To come into collision, to clash; to be at variance, be incompatible. (Now the chief sense.)
1647. Sprigge, Anglia Rediv., I. i. (1854), 2. Wherein both interests conflicting.
a. 1862. Buckle, Civiliz. (1873), III. v. 395. One error conflicts with another; each destroys its opponent and truth is evolved.
1883. T. H. Green, Proleg. Ethics, § 324. The perplexities of conscience … in which duties appear to conflict with each other.
† 4. trans. To engage in battle, to assault. rare.
1599. Nashe, Lenten Stuffe (1871), 18. In a sea-battle, her ships and men conflicted the Cinque Ports.
† 5. fig. To buffet with adversity. Obs.
1609. J. Davies, Christ’s Cross, in Farr, S. P. Eliz. (1845), I. 252. Sith thy soule for me is so conflicted.
a. 1656. Bp. Hall, Invis. World, II. § 7. Those miseries and temptations wherewith we are continually conflicted here below.
