war power

noun

|Updated on: 11 Jun 2018

Definition of war power

: the power to make war; specifically : an extraordinary power exercised usually by the executive branch of a government in the prosecution of a war

Recent Examples of war power from the Web

Merkley’s proposal, detailed to The Washington Post in advance of its release, has several key differences from the Corker-Kaine measure unveiled last month that helped break a deadlock in the debate over war powers on Capitol Hill.

— seung min kim, Washington Post, "As Senate plans war powers debate, one liberal Democrat seeks stronger constraints on White House," 16 May 2018
Supporters argue that the measure limits the president's war powers in a way the current, open-ended war authorization does not.

— NBC News, "Congress wrestles with new war on terror authorization," 16 Apr. 2018
For the first time in sixteen years, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee could be close to getting an agreement on a new Authorization for the Use of Military Force that could affect the Trump administration's war powers.

— cnn's capitol hill team, CNN, "Congress returns to Zuckerberg hearing, confirmation fights," 9 Apr. 2018
In Congress, Trump's bellicosity has sped a bipartisan effort to curtail the president's war powers.

— ishaan tharoor, Washington Post, "There’s no stopping the United States’ forever war," 3 May 2018
Ty Cobb prepares to leave the White House; Israel’s parliament gives Netanyahu expanded war powers.

— ella nilsen, Vox, "Vox Sentences: Thanks for the memories, Ty Cobb," 3 May 2018
The new war powers law, approved Monday on a vote of 62 to 41, was not written with the current skirmishes with Iran or the current prime minister and defense minister in mind, according to one of the measure’s architects.

— david m. halbfinger, New York Times, "With 3 Rapid Strokes, Netanyahu Advances Israel’s Agenda Against Iran," 2 May 2018
The government claims presidential authorities as well as congressionally approved war powers written after 9/11 provide the legal basis to hold the detainee as an enemy combatant linked to the IS group.

— CBS News, "Judge blocks government from transferring American with alleged ISIS ties," 20 Apr. 2018
The government claims presidential authorities as well as congressionally approved war powers written after 9/11 provide the legal basis to hold the detainee as an enemy combatant linked to the IS group.

— carol rosenberg, miamiherald, "Judge blocks transfer of U.S. citizen with ties to Islamic State group | Miami Herald," 20 Apr. 2018

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