merge conflict
Merge conflict (noun) means a situation in which two people have changed the same part of the same file and the version-control software cannot decide which change to keep, so it stops and asks a person to choose. Example: “I pulled the latest changes and got a merge conflict in the settings file.”
How to Use Merge conflict
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishWhen two people change the same lines and the computer asks which version to keep.
Technical, common in software teams; used most often with Git.
Usual verbs are get, hit or run into a merge conflict, and resolve or fix one.
Trace the full origin ↓Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
I pulled the latest changes and got a _____ in the settings file.
Etymology
A compound of merge, the act of combining two lines of changes, and conflict.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for merge conflict
See all rhymes for merge conflict →Frequently Asked Questions
What causes a merge conflict?
It happens when two sets of changes touch the same lines of a file, or when one side edits a file the other side has deleted or renamed. The software can combine changes that sit in different places automatically, but where they overlap it has no way of knowing which version is wanted.
How is a merge conflict resolved?
Someone opens the affected file, where the tool has marked both competing versions, decides what the final text should be, removes the markers and saves the result. The resolved file is then recorded as a commit so the merge can finish.
Is a merge conflict an error or a bug?
Neither. It is the version-control system correctly declining to guess, and it is a normal part of several people working on the same code. It only becomes a problem if it is resolved carelessly and one person's work is discarded by accident.