discord implies an intrinsic or essential lack of harmony producing quarreling, factiousness, or antagonism.
a political party long racked by discord
strife emphasizes a struggle for superiority rather than the incongruity or incompatibility of the persons or things involved.
during his brief reign the empire was never free of civil strife
conflict usually stresses the action of forces in opposition but in static applications implies an irreconcilability as of duties or desires.
the conflict of freedom and responsibility
contention applies to strife or competition that shows itself in quarreling, disputing, or controversy.
several points of contention about the new zoning law
dissension implies strife or discord and stresses a division into factions.
religious dissension threatened to split the colony
variance implies a clash between persons or things owing to a difference in nature, opinion, or interest.
cultural variances that work against a national identity
Example Sentences
in order to avoid family strife, the children spend equal time during the holidays with both of their grandmothers bitter strife between the two political factions
Recent Examples on the WebFlight is its own portrait of struggle and strife, and yet a smooth and utterly compelling read. Chloe Schama, Vogue, 14 Sep. 2022 Meghan and Harry had stepped down from their positions as working members of the royal family and moved to California, which caused internal strife for the royal family at large. Aimée Lutkin, ELLE, 11 Sep. 2022 The lawsuit marks the latest public example of internal strife plaguing the organizations heading the BLM movement, whose leadership has come under great scrutiny in the last two years after the 2020 protests. Orlando Mayorquin, USA TODAY, 7 Sep. 2022 With strife brewing in their relationship in the final episode, however, the pair broke up shortly thereafter, leaving Jackson heartbroken. Pamela Chelin, SPIN, 25 Aug. 2022 Oculus Quest 2, for instance, costs $396 in Nairobi, a price too high for a continent undergoing economic strife. Faustine Ngila, Quartz, 24 Aug. 2022 The attacks on Republicans overshadowed lingering internal strife among Democrats over the choice of Hernandez as chair of the state party. Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 17 Aug. 2022 The last came in 2011 when civil strife in Libya disrupted oil supplies from that country. Stanley Reed, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2021 Hammoud's mother, Ghada Hammoud, arrived in the U.S. in 1974 at the age of 4, her family escaping civil strife in Lebanon. Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, 1 Nov. 2021 See More
Word History
Etymology
Middle English strif, from Anglo-French estrif, estri, of Germanic origin; akin to Middle Dutch striden to fight, Old High German strītan to quarrel — more at stride