strife

Etymology

From Middle English strif, stryf, striffe, from Old French estrif, noun derived from estriver, from Frankish *strīban; compare Dutch strijven. More at strive.

noun

  1. Striving; earnest endeavor; hard work.
  2. Exertion or contention for superiority, either by physical or intellectual means.
  3. Bitter conflict, sometimes violent.
    A few observations about the interpretation of vows or pledges may not be out of place here. Interpretation of pledges has been a fruitful source of strife all the world over. No matter how explicit the pledge, people will turn and twist the text to suit their own purposes. 1927-29, M.K. Gandhi, The Story of My Experiments with Truth, translated 1940 by Mahadev Desai, Part I, Chapter xvii
  4. (colloquial) A trouble of any kind.
  5. (obsolete) That which is contended against; occasion of contest.

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