warfare

noun

war·​fare ˈwȯr-ˌfer How to pronounce warfare (audio)
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

see also biological warfare, chemical warfare, cyber warfare, germ warfare, trench warfare

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.
The exercises were designed, NATO said, to hone their skills, military capabilities and cooperation for extreme cold weather warfare. Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 23 May 2025 Anti-Israel forces have a long-running strategy called Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions, which calls for governments, universities and corporations to engage in forms of economic warfare against Israel. Alma Hernandez, Boston Herald, 22 May 2025 The Department of Defense's bureaucratic inertia is ill-suited to the demands of real-time, adaptive AI warfare. Charles Beames, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025 Starvation as weapon of war The use of starvation as a weapon is strictly forbidden under the Geneva Conventions, a set of statutes that govern the laws of warfare. Yara M. Asi, The Conversation, 21 May 2025 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 29 May. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on warfare

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