warfare

noun

war·​fare ˈwȯr-ˌfer How to pronounce warfare (audio)
Synonyms of warfarenext
1
: military operations between enemies : hostilities, war
also : an activity undertaken by a political unit (such as a nation) to weaken or destroy another
economic warfare
2
: struggle between competing entities : conflict

Examples of warfare in a Sentence

that troubled household seems to be almost constantly in a state of warfare companies engaged in constant warfare for dominance in the market for smart phones and tablets
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
All over the world, the ideological warfare of the twentieth century seemed to have given way to a general acceptance that democracy and capitalism were the best way to run a country. Literary Hub, 2 June 2026 The debut trailer shown at the 2025 Game Awards was meaty, showcasing CG cutscenes that perfectly set the dark epic atmosphere and gameplay clips that tease a new level of large-scale warfare across the stars. Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 2 June 2026 This lets the fighter track several targets at once, quickly switch between air and ground missions, and lowers the chance of being detected by enemy electronic warfare. Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 2 June 2026 It has been held in Germany and Poland and is getting progressively larger and more comprehensive to meet the expanding dimensions of drone warfare. Zita Ballinger Fletcher, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for warfare

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from werre, warre war + fare journey, passage — more at fare

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of warfare was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Warfare.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/warfare. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

warfare

noun
war·​fare ˈwȯr-ˌfa(ə)r How to pronounce warfare (audio)
-ˌfe(ə)r
1
a
: military fighting between enemies : war
b
: activity undertaken by one country or group to weaken or destroy another
economic warfare
2
: a struggle between competitors : conflict
industrial warfare

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