n.
Pronunciation: ə - ' fr ə nt
Function: transitive verb
Etymology: Middle English afronten, from Anglo-French afrunter to defy, from Vulgar Latin *affrontare, from Latin ad- + front-, frons forehead
Date: 14th century
1 a : to insult especially to the face by behavior or language b : to cause offense to <a system of law about both family and marriage that affront ed lay society ― J. H. Mundy>
2 a : to face in defiance : CONFRONT < affront death> b obsolete : to encounter face-to-face
3 : to appear directly before
synonyms see OFFEND