war power

noun

: the power to make war
specifically : an extraordinary power exercised usually by the executive branch of a government in the prosecution of a war

Examples of war power in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The notice was sent to several congressional committees on Wednesday after Democratic lawmakers asked the administration to go to Congress and seek war powers authority in order to continue the strikes. Emily Goodin, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2025 But Democrats insist that Trump must seek war powers authority from Congress before conducting such operations. Ellen Mitchell, The Hill, 2 Oct. 2025 The memo appears to represent an extraordinary assertion of presidential war powers, with Trump effectively declaring that trafficking of drugs into the United States amounts to armed conflict requiring the use of military force — a new rationale for past and future actions. Aamer Madhani, Twin Cities, 2 Oct. 2025 For example, in a fiery defense of federal aid to the citizens of Alabama and Georgia devastated by recent Native American hostilities, Adams invoked Congress’s war powers, while calling attention to a deeper hypocrisy. Time, 24 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for war power

Word History

First Known Use

1766, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of war power was in 1766

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“War power.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/war%20power. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!