state of war
noun phrase
1
a
: a state of actual armed hostilities regardless of a formal declaration of war
b
: a legal state created and ended by official declaration regardless of actual armed hostilities and usually characterized by operation of the rules of war
2
: the period of time during which a state of war is in effect
Examples of state of war in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Given Israel’s constant state of war in the last two years, this death toll from terrorism seems like a relatively small number.
—
Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 28 July 2025
And the real telltale sign was the fact that ... the Islamic Republic has never officially entered a state of war.
—Natasha Turak, CNBC, 24 June 2025
Because Korean War hostilities ended with an armistice rather than a formal peace treaty, the neighbors technically remain in a state of war.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
None of this eliminates the potential problems resulting from U.S. military intervention, classically creating a state of war.
—Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
Last year, Kim abandoned North Korea's historical goal of reunification with the South, which—despite a 1953 ceasefire—technically remains in a state of war.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 June 2025
But then, the only alternative to a permanent state of war is a political solution resting on two states living side by side with security guarantees.
—Vivienne Walt, Time, 10 June 2025
This film’s anthropological interest in how people are shaped by an ongoing immersion in a state of war is simultaneously deeply personally felt and conveyed with a sense of analytical remove.
—Catherine Bray, Variety, 25 May 2025
Although an armistice was reached to halt hostilities, the Korean Peninsula technically remains in a state of war as no peace treaty was concluded.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025
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Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 28 July 2025
And the real telltale sign was the fact that ... the Islamic Republic has never officially entered a state of war.
—Natasha Turak, CNBC, 24 June 2025
Because Korean War hostilities ended with an armistice rather than a formal peace treaty, the neighbors technically remain in a state of war.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
None of this eliminates the potential problems resulting from U.S. military intervention, classically creating a state of war.
—Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
Last year, Kim abandoned North Korea's historical goal of reunification with the South, which—despite a 1953 ceasefire—technically remains in a state of war.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 June 2025
But then, the only alternative to a permanent state of war is a political solution resting on two states living side by side with security guarantees.
—Vivienne Walt, Time, 10 June 2025
This film’s anthropological interest in how people are shaped by an ongoing immersion in a state of war is simultaneously deeply personally felt and conveyed with a sense of analytical remove.
—Catherine Bray, Variety, 25 May 2025
Although an armistice was reached to halt hostilities, the Korean Peninsula technically remains in a state of war as no peace treaty was concluded.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“State of war.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/state%20of%20war. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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