| Definition | Source | Underlying Theme | Perceives Conflict |
| An antagonistic struggle | (Coser, 1956) | Hostility | Negatively |
| A breakdown in standard mechanisms of decision-making | (March & Simon, 1958) | Lack of consensus | Negatively |
| A struggle over values and claims to scarce status, power, and resources | (Boulding, 1962) | Scarcity | Negatively |
| A struggle over values and claims to scarce status, power and resources in which the aims of the opponents are to neutralize, injure, or eliminate the rivals | (Coser, 1967) | Scarcity/hostility | Negatively |
| A breach in normally expected behavior | (Beals & Siegel, 1966) | Poor Behavior | Negatively |
| A threat to cooperation | (Marek, 1966) | Lack of cooperation | Negatively |
| Opposing processes in any of several forms – competition, status, rivalry, bargaining, sabotage, verbal abuse, etc. | (Walton, 1966) | Opposition (may not be hostile) | Negatively |
| Any social situation or process in which two or more social entities are linked by at least one form of antagonistic interaction | (Fink, 1968) | Hostility | Negatively |
| As existing whenever incompatible activities occur in an action which prevents, obstructs, interferes with, injures, or in some way makes it less likely or less effective | (Deutsch, 1973) | Interference | Negatively |
| Arising when a difference between two (or more) people necessitates change in at least one person in order for their engagement to continue and develop – the differences cannot coexist without some adjustment | (Jordan, 1990) | Difference | Negatively |
| A situation in which interdependent people express (manifest or latent) differences in satisfying their individual needs and interests, and they experience interference from each other in accomplishing these goals | (Donohue & Colt, 1992) | Interference | Negatively |
| As a process that begins when one party or individual perceives that one or more others have frustrated or are about to frustrate a major concern of theirs | (Thomas, 1992) | Hindrance | Negatively |
| An expressed struggle between at least two interdependent parties who perceive incompatible goals, scarce resources, and interference from others in achieving their goals | (Hocker & Wilmot, 1995) | Struggle | Negatively |
| A way of confronting reality and creating new solutions | (Socklingam & Doswell, 1999) | Solution | Positively |
| The perceived incompatibility between values/goals | (Deutsch & Coleman, 2000; Reichers, 1986) | Clash | Negatively |