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
The idea is that these nodes can be quickly deployed where required by AUVs like Anduril's Dive-XL and then carry out surveillance and reconnaissance for anti-submarine and anti-ship warfare.
—
New Atlas, 26 Apr. 2025
The group responded with the escalation of drone and missile warfare against the U.S. and Israel.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025
By singling out China for commercial warfare, Mr. Trump has set the stage for an epic showdown with Mr. Xi.
—Ann Scott Tyson, Christian Science Monitor, 15 Apr. 2025
In Syria, internecine warfare has already emerged between Kurds in the northeast, former President Assad’s Alawite sect, and transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who led the organization HTS, which the United States designated a terrorist group.
—Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for warfare
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New Atlas, 26 Apr. 2025
The group responded with the escalation of drone and missile warfare against the U.S. and Israel.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025
By singling out China for commercial warfare, Mr. Trump has set the stage for an epic showdown with Mr. Xi.
—Ann Scott Tyson, Christian Science Monitor, 15 Apr. 2025
In Syria, internecine warfare has already emerged between Kurds in the northeast, former President Assad’s Alawite sect, and transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who led the organization HTS, which the United States designated a terrorist group.
—Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for warfare
Cite this Entry
“Warfare.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/warfare. Accessed 7 May. 2025.
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warfare
noun
war·fare
ˈwȯr-ˌfa(ə)r 
-ˌfe(ə)r
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