infighting

Word family

• infight
  verbC2
• infighter
  nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Infighting' specifically describes competitive or hostile behaviour within a single group or organisation, where members fight for power or influence. 'Conflict' is a much broader term covering any serious disagreement between any parties, whether inside a group or between separate groups. 'Rivalry' emphasises ongoing competition rather than open hostility — two colleagues may have a friendly rivalry without infighting. 'Dissension' focuses on differences of opinion that cause disagreement within a group; it is more about clashing views than about power struggles. 'Strife' suggests bitter, often prolonged conflict and is more common in formal writing. For example: 'The boardroom infighting made it impossible to approve the budget' uses infighting for internal power plays, while 'the conflict between the two nations' uses conflict for an external dispute.

Common collocations

Etymology

Formed by combining the prefix 'in-' (meaning 'within, inside') with 'fighting'. The word was first used in the early 19th century to describe close-quarters physical fighting, especially in boxing. By the mid-20th century, the figurative sense of internal organisational rivalry had become the dominant meaning.