1. Competitive or opposing action of incompatibles: antagonistic state or action (as of divergent ideas, interests or persons)
2. Mental struggle resulting from incompatible or opposing needs, drives, wishes, or external or internal demands
3. Hostile encounter: fight, battle, war
4. The pursuit of incompatible goals, such that gains to one side come about at the expense of the other
By these definitions, conflict is a bad situation. It is generally viewed as negative, having discord, disharmony, and hostility. Necessarily, someone is going to win and someone is going to lose — the classic win/lose scenario.