Strife
/straɪf/noun
Angry conflict or bitter struggle between people or groups.
Did you know?In Old French and Middle English, the word carried the sense of quarrel and contention, and it may be linked to a Germanic root meaning to strive or struggle rather than any mystical force.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*strīpan / *strīfan?
“to strive, contend; exact pre-Old English form is uncertain”
Old English
OE
strīfan
“to strive or struggle”
Old French
OF
estrif
“strife, quarrel, contention”
Middle English
ME
strif
“quarrel, conflict, contention”
Modern English
English
strife
“bitter conflict or struggle”