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
As drone warfare evolves, the service aims to field layered defenses capable of protecting maneuver units against everything from quadcopters to cruise missiles.
—
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2025
Facing an increasingly severe security environment, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force conducted a tactical drill in the Philippine Sea south of the Sakishima Islands, in Japan's southwestern waters near Taiwan, that included a mine warfare exercise.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
The idea is to resolve conflict with dialogue, at worst a duel, not warfare.
—Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2025
The same is true of modern warfare.
—Big Think, 18 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for warfare
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Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2025
Facing an increasingly severe security environment, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force conducted a tactical drill in the Philippine Sea south of the Sakishima Islands, in Japan's southwestern waters near Taiwan, that included a mine warfare exercise.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
The idea is to resolve conflict with dialogue, at worst a duel, not warfare.
—Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2025
The same is true of modern warfare.
—Big Think, 18 Oct. 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 25 Oct. 2025.
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warfare
noun
war·fare
ˈwȯr-ˌfa(ə)r 
-ˌfe(ə)r
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