war

noun, often attributive \ ˈwȯr \

Definition of war

1 a (1) :a state of usually open and declared armed hostile conflict between states or nations

(2) :a period of such armed conflict

(3) :state of war

b :the art or science of warfare

c (1) obsolete :weapons and equipment for war

(2) archaic :soldiers armed and equipped for war

2 a :a state of hostility, conflict, or antagonism

b :a struggle or competition between opposing forces or for a particular end

a class war

a war against disease

c :variance, odds 3

—

warless

play \ˈwȯr-ləs\ adjective

See war defined for English-language learners

See war defined for kids

Examples of war in a Sentence

They fought a war over the disputed territory.
A war broke out when the colonists demanded their independence.
We need to resolve our conflicts without resorting to war.
People behave differently during a time of war.
The taking of American hostages was seen as an act of war by the United States.
the budget wars in Washington

Recent Examples of war from the Web

Two years later, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo brought the war to an end.

— araceli cruz, Teen Vogue, "Mexican Repatriation During the Great Depression, Explained," 30 Aug. 2017
The camp is assisting 300 Kurdish Syrians fleeing he civil war in Syria.

— anne kniggendorf,, kansascity, "September First Friday gallery guide: 16 shows in the Crossroads and beyond," 29 Aug. 2017
The timeline aligns with Roman civil wars throughout the first century B.C.E. that would have led to neglect.

— michael price, Science | AAAS, "Origins of Ancient Rome’s famed pipe plumbing system revealed in soil samples," 28 Aug. 2017
Trump’s decision to prolong and expand the war in Afghanistan goes against the realistic foreign-policy promises that got him elected.

— daniel depetris, National Review, "Five Questions for Trump on Afghanistan," 27 Aug. 2017
This is what happens when a society is at war with itself.

— andrew sullivan, Daily Intelligencer, "The Boston Rally Exposed the Left’s Intolerance of Free Speech," 25 Aug. 2017
There's going to be a nuclear war after the asteroid hits?

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "This Week in Voter Suppression," 24 Aug. 2017
Her two-minute campaign launch video — one minute on war and determination, the other on health care and her mom’s legacy — went viral with more than 1.3 million views in two weeks.

— lisa gillespie, Kaiser Health News, "Will GOP Pay A Price For Trying To Take Health Care Benefits From Voters?," 24 Aug. 2017
Most of the battles in this national war have to be fought locally.

— Howard County Times, "Stronger actions to battle heroin [Editorial]," 23 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'war.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of war

Middle English werre, from Anglo-French werre, guerre, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German werra strife; akin to Old High German werran to confuse

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 12th century

See Words from the same year

war Synonyms

Synonyms

conflagration, conflict, hostilities, hot war

Antonyms

peace

Related Words

civil war, cold war, holy war, limited war, police action, world war; action, battle, engagement, skirmish; combat, fighting, warfare

Near Antonyms

demilitarization, demobilization, disarmament; pacification; cease-fire, truce; calm, peacefulness, tranquillity (or tranquility)

Other Military Terms

bivouac, logistics, petard, salient, sally, supernumerary, tactical

war

verb

Definition of war

warred; warring

intransitive verb

1 :to be in active or vigorous conflict

2 :to engage in warfare

Recent Examples of war from the Web

Warring parties have carved up the interior of the country, and the coalition has blocked all of Yemen’s air and seaports.

— Washington Post, "AP PHOTOS: Yemen’s prized honey industry stung by war," 29 Aug. 2017
Peace talks brokered by the United Nations have stalled, and none of the warring parties have indicated much willingness to back down.

— troy griggs, The Seattle Times, "Yemen spiraling in slow death from humanitarian crisis," 24 Aug. 2017
A combative and unorthodox Republican, Bannon was a contentious presence in a White House divided by warring staff loyalties.

— jonathan lemire and jill colvin, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Trump ousts chief strategist Steve Bannon, who returns to helm at Breitbart News," 19 Aug. 2017
A combative and unorthodox Republican, Bannon was a contentious presence in a White House divided by warring staff loyalties.

— jonathan lemire and jill colvin, courant.com, "Trump ousts chief strategist Steve Bannon, who returns to helm at Breitbart News," 18 Aug. 2017
He's forced to broker a deal between two warring queens.

— matt miller, Esquire, "Jaime Knows the Lannisters Will Lose. But This Pregnancy Could Change Everything.," 14 Aug. 2017
Among Kelly’s immediate challenges: brokering peace between warring factions in the West Wing; plugging leaks about internal activities; establishing a disciplined policymaking process; and walling off the Russia investigations.

— glenn thrush, michael d. shear and eileen sullivan, idahostatesman, "John Kelly, a former general, restoring order at ‘dysfunctional’ White House," 6 Aug. 2017
In the 19th century, huge influxes of Irish and German immigrants warred for influence and power against the existing American coastal establishment that traced its ancestry to England.

— victor davis hanson, National Review, "The Problem of Competitive Victimhood," 3 Aug. 2017
Over at Casterly Rock, many warring worlds collided.

— elyse roth, Glamour, "'Game of Thrones' Season 7 Episode 3 Recap: Daenerys and Jon Finally Meet," 31 July 2017

First Known Use of war

13th century

war

adverb or adjective \ ˈwär \

Definition of war

chiefly Scotland

:worse

Origin and Etymology of war

Middle English werre, from Old Norse verri, adjective, verr, adverb; akin to Old English wiersa worse — more at worse

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

war

verb \ ˈwär \

Definition of war

warred; warring

transitive verb

Scotland

:worst, overcome

Recent Examples of war from the Web

Warring parties have carved up the interior of the country, and the coalition has blocked all of Yemen’s air and seaports.

— Washington Post, "AP PHOTOS: Yemen’s prized honey industry stung by war," 29 Aug. 2017
Peace talks brokered by the United Nations have stalled, and none of the warring parties have indicated much willingness to back down.

— troy griggs, The Seattle Times, "Yemen spiraling in slow death from humanitarian crisis," 24 Aug. 2017
A combative and unorthodox Republican, Bannon was a contentious presence in a White House divided by warring staff loyalties.

— jonathan lemire and jill colvin, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Trump ousts chief strategist Steve Bannon, who returns to helm at Breitbart News," 19 Aug. 2017
A combative and unorthodox Republican, Bannon was a contentious presence in a White House divided by warring staff loyalties.

— jonathan lemire and jill colvin, courant.com, "Trump ousts chief strategist Steve Bannon, who returns to helm at Breitbart News," 18 Aug. 2017
He's forced to broker a deal between two warring queens.

— matt miller, Esquire, "Jaime Knows the Lannisters Will Lose. But This Pregnancy Could Change Everything.," 14 Aug. 2017
Among Kelly’s immediate challenges: brokering peace between warring factions in the West Wing; plugging leaks about internal activities; establishing a disciplined policymaking process; and walling off the Russia investigations.

— glenn thrush, michael d. shear and eileen sullivan, idahostatesman, "John Kelly, a former general, restoring order at ‘dysfunctional’ White House," 6 Aug. 2017
In the 19th century, huge influxes of Irish and German immigrants warred for influence and power against the existing American coastal establishment that traced its ancestry to England.

— victor davis hanson, National Review, "The Problem of Competitive Victimhood," 3 Aug. 2017
Over at Casterly Rock, many warring worlds collided.

— elyse roth, Glamour, "'Game of Thrones' Season 7 Episode 3 Recap: Daenerys and Jon Finally Meet," 31 July 2017

First Known Use of war

15th century

WAR Defined for English Language Learners

war

noun

Definition of war for English Language Learners

: a state or period of fighting between countries or groups
: a situation in which people or groups compete with or fight against each other
: an organized effort by a government or other large organization to stop or defeat something that is viewed as dangerous or bad