Definition of war
1a (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 warb : the art or science of warfarec (1) obsolete : weapons and equipment for war (2) archaic : soldiers armed and equipped for war
2a : a state of hostility, conflict, or antagonismb : a struggle or competition between opposing forces or for a particular end a class war a war against diseasec : variance, odds 3
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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
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If Macron’s project pulls the pillars of the post-war order from the premature graves to which they have been assigned, the benefits will accrue to us all.
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At age 3, Abdullahi came to America from Somalia with her family, following the collapse of law and order in her country due to civil war.
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Monroe swept into the presidency as an American war hero and a symbol of the young nation’s history.
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War and romance comics In the 1930s, most comic books were reprints of strips that had appeared in newspapers.
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Despite going through a period of downsizing during the Great Depression, the brand was able to rebound by capitalizing on America's efforts to rebuild after a devastating war and economic crash.
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Gracie McKenzie shares three of today’s top stories: What happens when city residents go to war against cycling infrastructure?
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There are still bidding wars, and there’s still flipping, but not like two years ago.
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A person could eat a full meal and still be at war with their eating disorder in their mind.
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
war
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
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The blood-and-betrayal drama about warring noble families has already claimed a whopping 1,243 deaths characters in just six seasons—
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The race also creates a down-ballot proxy battle between warring factions in the Democratic Party.
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In all the excitement over Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange playing a warring Bette Davis and Joan Crawford in FX's upcoming Feud: Bette and Joan, it's been easy to overlook the equally exciting casting of Catherine Zeta Jones.
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.
First Known Use of war
13th century
Origin and Etymology of war
Middle English werre, from Old Norse verri, adjective, verr, adverb; akin to Old English wiersa worse — more at worse
Recent Examples of war from the Web
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The blood-and-betrayal drama about warring noble families has already claimed a whopping 1,243 deaths characters in just six seasons—
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The race also creates a down-ballot proxy battle between warring factions in the Democratic Party.
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In all the excitement over Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange playing a warring Bette Davis and Joan Crawford in FX's upcoming Feud: Bette and Joan, it's been easy to overlook the equally exciting casting of Catherine Zeta Jones.
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.
First Known Use of war
15th century
WAR Defined for English Language Learners
war
playDefinition of war for English Language Learners
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: a state or period of fighting between countries or groups
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: a situation in which people or groups compete with or fight against each other
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: an organized effort by a government or other large organization to stop or defeat something that is viewed as dangerous or bad
WAR Defined for Kids
Definition of war for Students
1 : a state or period of fighting between states or nations
2 : a struggle between opposing forces or for a particular end the war on poverty
Learn More about war
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See words that rhyme with war Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for war Spanish Central: Translation of war Nglish: Translation of war for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of war for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about war
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