warfare

noun

war·​fare ˈwȯr-ˌfer 

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

Synonyms of warfare

• war
• strife
• discord
• conflict
• friction
• discordance
• discordancy
• schism
• dissent

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

Other major targets include an Indian firm specializing in surveillance and electronic warfare, an AI solutions company, and a global web design agency. —Jessica Klein, PC Magazine, 11 Apr. 2026

Specifically the commander-in-chief orders a strike against Russian satellites, a disproportionate response that is certain to spark global warfare. —Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 11 Apr. 2026

In a terrifically non-didactic way, Lincoln lets audiences in on the inner workings of governmental warfare. —Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Apr. 2026

Decades of service have enabled the aircraft to evolve into a versatile platform with numerous specialized mission configurations, from search and rescue to electronic warfare. —Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 11 Apr. 2026

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

Phrases Containing warfare

• biological warfare
• chemical warfare
• cyber warfare
• germ warfare
• psychological warfare
• trench warfare

Rhymes for warfare

• abwehr
• affair
• affaire
• airfare
• altair
• armchair
• aware
• beware
• bugbear
• carfare
• childcare
• compare

Kids Definition

warfare

noun

war·​fare ˈwȯr-ˌfa(ə)r 

-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