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Confrontation vs Assault - What's the difference?

confrontation | assault |

As nouns the difference between confrontation and assault

is that confrontation is the act of confronting or challenging another, especially face-to-face while assault is a violent onset or attack with physical means, as blows, weapons, etc; an onslaught; the rush or charge of an attacking force; onset; as, to make assault upon a man, a house, or a town.

As a verb assault is

to attack, threaten or harass.

confrontation

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • The act of confronting or challenging another, especially face-to-face
  • A conflict between armed forces
  • assault

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A violent onset or attack with physical means, as blows, weapons, etc.; an onslaught; the rush or charge of an attacking force; onset; as, to make assault upon a man, a house, or a town.
  • * Prescott
  • The Spanish general prepared to renew the assault .
  • * Shakespeare
  • Unshaken bears the assault / Of their most dreaded foe, the strong southwest.
  • A violent onset or attack with moral weapons, as words, arguments, appeals, and the like; as, to make an assault on the prerogatives of a prince, or on the constitution of a government.
  • (criminal, legal) An attempt to commit battery: a violent attempt, or willful effort with force or violence, to do hurt to another, but without necessarily touching his person, as by lifting a fist in a threatening manner, or by striking at him and missing him.
  • (singulare tantum, legal) The crime whose action is such an attempt.
  • An act that causes someone to apprehend imminent bodily harm.
  • (singulare tantum, legal) The tort whose action is such an act.
  • (fencing) A non-competitive combat between two fencers.
  • Synonyms

    *

    Derived terms

    * antiassault * assault and battery * nonassault * reassault

    Coordinate terms

    * battery

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To attack, threaten or harass.