English

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Etymology

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From Middle French confronter, borrowed from Medieval Latin cōnfrontāre, from con- + frontem (front, forehead).

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /kənˈfɹʌnt/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • (obsolete) IPA(key): /kɒnˈfɹɒnt/ [1]
  • Hyphenation: con‧front

Verb

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confront (third-person singular simple present confronts, present participle confronting, simple past and past participle confronted)

  1. (transitive) To stand or meet facing, especially in competition, hostility or defiance; to come face to face with
    Synonyms: oppose, challenge
    It is important that police officers learn to deescalate situations in which someone confronts them aggressively.
  2. (transitive) To deal with.
    confront a problem
  3. (transitive) To bring someone face to face with something.
    We should confront him about the missing money.
  4. (transitive) To come up against; to encounter.
    Inter Milan are to confront Juventus in the final.
  5. (intransitive) To engage in confrontation.
  6. (transitive) To set a thing side by side with; to compare.
  7. (transitive) To put a thing facing to; to set in contrast to.

Derived terms

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Translations

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The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

References

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  1. ^ Confront” in John Walker, A Critical Pronouncing Dictionary [] , London: Sold by G. G. J. and J. Robinſon, Paternoſter Row; and T. Cadell, in the Strand, 1791, →OCLC, page 159.