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

The effectiveness of the approach will depend on how well the systems perform under operational conditions and against evolving electronic warfare threats. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026

Needless to say, the system has to be robust enough to handle battlefield conditions, including electronic warfare and communications blackouts. — New Atlas, 15 Oct. 2026

Experts say these attacks represent a new front in warfare, in which facilities powering the technology behind many critical industries have become military targets. — Richard Hall, Time, 15 Oct. 2026

Ukraine has earned worldwide recognition for its cutting-edge drone industry, designing and assembling systems that have changed modern warfare. — ABC News, 14 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