collision

[kuh-lizh-uhn]

noun

1. the act of colliding; a coming violently into contact; crash.

   the collision of two airplanes.

2. a clash; conflict.

   a collision of purposes.

3. Physics.,  the meeting of particles or of bodies in which each exerts a force upon the other, causing the exchange of energy or momentum.

collision

/ kəˈlɪʒən /

noun

1. a violent impact of moving objects; crash

2. the conflict of opposed ideas, wishes, attitudes, etc

   a collision of interests

3. physics an event in which two or more bodies or particles come together with a resulting change of direction and, normally, energy

Other Word Forms

• collisional adjective
• anticollision adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of collision¹

1400–50; late Middle English < Late Latin collīsiōn- (stem of collīsiō ), equivalent to collīs ( us ) (past participle of collīdere to collide ) + -iōn- -ion

Word History and Origins

Origin of collision¹

C15: from Late Latin collīsiō from Latin collīdere to _collide

Example Sentences

When a battalion chief arrived at the scene to investigate the crash, they were involved in another collision at the same intersection.

From Los Angeles Times

As a former police detective, I've attended many car accidents but this summer, for the first time, I was in a head-on collision with another car myself.

From BBC

It is not known how many people were onboard at the time of the collision, however.

From BBC

The jury also found the Bravo-lebrity guilty of failure to control speed to avoid a collision and failure to notify authorities of an address change.

From Los Angeles Times

Giuliani, 81, was hospitalized in New Hampshire after a rear-end collision.

From Salon