biological warfare

noun

: warfare involving the use of biological weapons
also : warfare involving the use of herbicides

Examples of biological warfare in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Army Dispersion Tests Throughout the nuclear arms race of the 1950s and 60s, the US military feared an enemy attack using biological warfare, according to online government records. Justin Gamble, CNN, 15 Oct. 2023 History of biological warfare: catapults to capsomers. Rebecca Kreston, Discover Magazine, 11 June 2013 Disguised as an epidemic prevention and water purification department, the unit functioned through the end of the war as a testing ground for agents of biological warfare. Emily Langer, BostonGlobe.com, 28 July 2023 Worryingly, Russia has also threatened to break the taboo on the first use of nuclear weapons and has the capability to carry out chemical and biological warfare. Margaret MacMillan, Foreign Affairs, 12 June 2023 With regard to biological warfare the renunciation was unilateral and unequivocal. Daniel C. Schlenoff, Scientific American, 1 Jan. 2020 Requisitioned from farmers, blitzed with anthrax-laden bombs in the 1940s, and made inhospitable to human and animal life for decades, the tiny Scottish island of Gruinard now serves as home to a flock of healthy sheep and a disreputable monument to the birth of biological warfare. Rebecca Kreston, Discover Magazine, 1 Apr. 2017 Although the risk is low for some nefarious outcome, like introducing an exotic species in the United States or some form of biological warfare, recipients of the mailings should not plant the seeds, said Art Gover, a plant science researcher at Penn State University. Allyson Waller, BostonGlobe.com, 2 Aug. 2020 But all intelligence agencies agree COVID-19 wasn't the result of biological warfare, according to the Wall Street Journal. Candy Woodall, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'biological warfare.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1921, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of biological warfare was in 1921

Dictionary Entries Near biological warfare

Cite this Entry

“Biological warfare.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biological%20warfare. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

biological warfare

noun
: warfare involving the use of biological weapons

Medical Definition

biological warfare

noun
biological war·​fare -ˈwȯr-ˌfa(ə)r, -ˌfe(ə)r How to pronounce biological warfare (audio)
: warfare involving the use of biological weapons
also : warfare involving the use of herbicides

More from Merriam-Webster on biological warfare

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