FRICTION | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary

friction

noun [ U ]

uk /ˈfrɪk.ʃən/ us /ˈfrɪk.ʃən/

friction noun [U] (FORCE)

the force that makes it difficult for one object to slide along the surface of another or to move through a liquid or gas:

When you rub your hands together the friction produces heat.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Physics: energy, force & power

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friction noun [U] (DISAGREEMENT)

disagreement or unfriendliness caused by people having different opinions:

There's a lot of friction between my wife and my mother.

Politics is a source of considerable friction in our family.

Border clashes have led to increased friction between the two countries.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Related word

frictional adjective

(Definition of friction from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

friction | American Dictionary

friction

noun [ U ]

us /ˈfrɪk·ʃən/

friction noun [U] (FORCE)

physics

the force that works against an object as it slides along the surface of another object or moves through a liquid or gas:

A gasoline engine loses over 70 percent of its energy to friction and heat.

friction noun [U] (DISAGREEMENT)

disagreement or dislike caused by people having different opinions:

There’s less friction in relationships when you use teamwork.

frictional

adjective [ not gradable ]   physics us/ˈfrɪk·ʃə·nəl/

frictionless

adjective   physics us /ˈfrɪk·ʃən·ləs/

(Definition of friction from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)