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

Modern warfare moves at the speed of technology, capital, and industrial capacity, while many institutions still operate at the speed of bureaucracy. — Marc Andersen, Fortune, 30 June 2026

Yet beneath their similar appearance lies a fundamentally different approach to armored warfare. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 30 June 2026

Yet prominent Italian Jewish journalist Maurizio Molinari, who currently teaches a class on hybrid warfare at Tel Aviv’s Reichman University, points the finger squarely at Russia. — Larry Luxner, Sun Sentinel, 29 June 2026

And estimates suggest that there are now more Russians killed in the war than there are wounded, a first in modern warfare. — Aidan Stretch, CBS News, 29 June 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