Defn: Warm contention in words; dispute carried on with heat or anger; controversy; wrangle; wordy contest. "Stormy altercations." Macaulay.
Syn. — Altercation, Dispute, Wrangle. The term dispute is in most cases, but not necessarily, applied to a verbal contest; as, a dispute on the lawfulness of war. An altercation is an angry dispute between two parties, involving an interchange of severe language. A wrangle is a confused and noisy altercation. Their whole life was little else than a perpetual wrangling and altercation. Hakewill.
ALTERCATIVE
Al"ter*ca*tive, a.
Defn: Characterized by wrangling; scolding. [R.] Fielding.
ALTERITY
Al*ter"i*ty, n. Etym: [F. altérité.]
Defn: The state or quality of being other; a being otherwise. [R.] For outness is but the feeling of otherness (alterity) rendered intuitive, or alterity visually represented. Coleridge.
ALTERN
Al"tern, a. Etym: [L. alternus, fr. alter another: cf. F. alterne.]
Defn: Acting by turns; alternate. Milton. Altern base (Trig.), a second side made base, in distinction from a side previously regarded as base.
ALTERNACY
Al*ter"na*cy, n.
Defn: Alternateness; alternation. [R.] Mitford.