widerstreitende

Widerstreitende is a German attributive adjective formed from the verb widerstreiten, meaning to be in opposition or to dispute. The form is the present participle used as an adjective and is typically placed before a noun to indicate that the referenced entities are in conflict with one another.

Etymology and grammar: the word combines wider- (against) and streiten (to fight or quarrel). As an attributive adjective, widerstreitende takes different endings according to number, case, and gender; for example, die widerstreitende Meinung (feminine singular nominative), die widerstreitenden Interessen (plural nominative), or das widerstreitende Verhältnis (neuter singular). The predicative form is widerstreitend, as in Die Positionen sind widerstreitend.

Usage and nuance: widerstreitende is common in academic, political, legal, and sociological writing to describe positions, interests, forces, or viewpoints that oppose each other. It conveys active opposition or conflict beyond mere difference, suggesting that reconciliation or agreement is difficult or improbable. It is not synonymous with widersprüchlich (contradictory), which emphasizes logical contradiction; widerstreitend stresses contest and incompatibility between sides.

Related forms: the verb is widerstreiten; the noun is der Widerstreit. The related adjective widerstreitend is used predicatively or adverbially, while widerstreitende is the attributive form before nouns.

See also: Widerstreit (dispute, discord); streiten (to argue); widersprüchlich (contradictory).