It is a noun.
The police were called to a minor altercation at the local bar.
When he made a rude comment about my wife, I knew there would be an altercation.
The two children had an altercation on the plaground over who would get to go down the slide first.
argument?
fight, fistfight
"The Judge slammed his gavel down, and demanded order; as the defendant and plaintiff had an increasingly loud altercation, in the courtroom."
The word "altercation" is a noun. It refers to a noisy argument or disagreement, typically occurring in a heated or angry manner.
Noun form; altercation, clash, disagreement, etc. Adjective form; pugnacious, combative, belligerent.
* fight * Brawl
Dispute, quarrel, altercation, squabble, fracas, row...
It is an adjective.It is a an adjective.
A word is a thing. The word 'word' is a noun.