Forms: 4–5 altercacioun, 4–6 -cion, -cyon, 5– tyown, altircacioune, 6 altri-, altrycacion, alterication, 6– altercation. [a. Fr. altercation, ad. L. altercātiōn-em, n. of action f. altercā-ri; see prec.]
1. The action of disputing in warmth or anger; wordy strife, wrangling.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Merch. T., 229. As alday fallith altercacioun [v.r. altercacion(e] Bitwixe frendes in dispitesoun.
1480. Caxton, Chron. Eng., ccliii. 327. Therof arose a grete altercacyon among wryters of this mater pro and contra.
1509. Barclay, Ship of Fooles (1570), 2. Not to fall in alterication.
1541. Paynell, Catiline, liv. 77. Cesar & Cato, being at altercation togyther touching the peyn & punishment of the conspirators.
1651. Baxter, Inf. Bapt., 241. A Judicious Reader … looks for Arguments, and loathes altercation.
1773. Franklin, Lett., Wks. 1840, VI. 379. I have an extreme aversion to public altercation on philosophic points.
1856. E. A. Bond, Russia at Close 16th C. (Hakluyt Soc.), Introd. p. xxi. This monopoly … was a pregnant cause of altercation between the two courts.
b. The conduct of a case in a court of justice by means of question and answer. (L. altercātio Quint.)
1779. Johnson, K. of Prussia, Wks. 1787, IV. 553. In the discussion of causes, altercation must be allowed; yet to altercation some limits must be put. There are therefore allowed a bill, an answer, a reply, and a rejoinder.
1875. Poste, Gaius, IV. (ed. 2), 497. An oral pleading or altercation.
2. A vehement or angry dispute, a noisy controversy, a wrangle.
1552. Huloet, Altricacion, Rixa.
1582. N. T. (Rheims), Jude 9. When Michael … made altercation for the body of Moyses.
1665. Glanville, Sceps. Sci., 74. Which excites men to endless bawlings and altercations.
1753. Richardson, Grandison (1781), II. xxv. 241. An altercation cannot end in your favour.
1840. Macaulay, Clive, 42. Stormy altercations at the India House and in Parliament.
1856. Miss Mulock, J. Halifax, 293. Which produced a warm altercation among the children.
