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 trench warfare

Synonyms of warfare

• war
• strife
• discord
• conflict
• friction
• discordance
• discordancy
• schism
• dissent

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

Drone warfare has become the deadliest threat to civilians in Sudan's conflict and both the military and the RSF are being supplied with drones by a number of countries in the Middle East and beyond, experts previously said. — Yassir Abdalla, Arkansas Online, 29 Oct. 2026

Designed to resist electronic interference Modern naval sensors must contend with electronic warfare, including jamming attempts to disrupt radar signals. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2026

Drone warfare has become the deadliest threat to civilians in Sudan’s conflict and both the military and the RSF are being supplied with drones by a number of countries in the Middle East and beyond, experts previously said. — ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026

In return, Russia has reportedly supplied North Korea with air defenses and electronic warfare capabilities and is considering transferring even more advanced military technology. — Dan Blumenthal, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026

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

Rhymes for warfare

• abwehr
• affair
• affaire
• airfare
• altair
• armchair
• aware
• beware
• bugbear
• carfare
• childcare
• compare

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