conflicto
nounCEFR B2
What does “conflicto” mean in English?
conflict, clash
conflict, clash (a serious disagreement or armed struggle; conflicto bélico / laboral; conflicto de intereses)
Example sentences
El conflicto entre el derecho al olvido y la libertad de información es uno de los más relevantes de la era digital.
The conflict between the right to be forgotten and freedom of information is one of the most significant of the digital age.
Gestionar el conflicto de manera constructiva es una competencia que se puede aprender.
Managing conflict constructively is a skill that can be learnt.
El conflicto de intereses obliga a cualquier miembro del jurado a declararse y abstenerse.
A conflict of interests obliges any jury member to declare it and stand down.
How to use it
El conflicto means 'conflict' — a clash between opposing forces, interests, values, or parties. At B2 it is one of the most productive nouns in social, political, and ethical discourse: el conflicto entre X e Y, el conflicto de intereses, un conflicto armado, resolver/gestionar/escalar el conflicto. The preposition entre is standard for identifying opposing sides. Distinguish from disputa (dispute — usually more limited in scope and often legal or verbal) and enfrentamiento (confrontation — more physically or dramatically charged).
Common mistake
Conflicto is not always violent — it refers to any clash of interests or positions. 'Armed conflict' = conflicto armado (not *guerra unless war has been formally declared). Distinguish conflicto (structural, potentially prolonged: el conflicto árabe-israelí) from disputa (specific, bounded: la disputa por los derechos del río) and from enfrentamiento (acute confrontation: un enfrentamiento verbal). The plural conflictos is used for multiple distinct conflicts or types.