warfare

noun

war·​fare ˈwȯr-ˌfer 

1

: military operations between enemies : hostilities, war

also : an activity undertaken by a political unit (such as a nation) to weaken or destroy another

economic warfare

2

: struggle between competing entities : conflict

see also biological warfare, chemical warfare, cyber warfare, germ warfare, psychological warfare, trench warfare

Synonyms

• conflict
• disaccord
• discord
• discordance
• discordancy
• disharmony
• dissension
• dissention
• dissent
• dissidence
• dissonance
• disunion
• disunity
• division
• friction
• infighting
• inharmony
• schism
• strife
• variance
• war

Examples of warfare in a Sentence

that troubled household seems to be almost constantly in a state of warfare

companies engaged in constant warfare for dominance in the market for smart phones and tablets

Recent Examples on the Web

Military means warfare — that means then your citizens are your enemies, essentially. —Marcus D. Smith, Sacramento Bee, 5 June 2024

Then the man transforms into a violent, flesh-eating zombie, and all hell — with a side of George Romero-style class warfare — breaks loose. —EW.com, 2 June 2024

Internecine warfare is a term usually applied to civil wars and genocides. —Nicholas Florko, STAT, 13 May 2024

Electronic warfare is not new to battlefields around the world and has been used in wars dating back to before World War I, Benjamin Jensen, a senior fellow at the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told ABC News. —Kerem Inal, ABC News, 4 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from werre, warre war + fare journey, passage — more at fare

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing warfare

• biological warfare
• chemical warfare
• cyber warfare
• germ warfare
• psychological warfare
• trench warfare

Kids Definition

warfare

noun

war·​fare ˈwȯr-ˌfa(ə)r 

-ˌfe(ə)r

1

a

: military fighting between enemies : war

b

: activity undertaken by one country or group to weaken or destroy another

economic warfare

2

: a struggle between competitors : conflict

industrial warfare