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
In general, Ukrainian electronic warfare systems are able to jam approximately half of the incoming drones, especially those flying at lower altitudes.
—
Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
The United States would be, to put it mildly, naïve to believe that the accumulation of intelligence and modern warfare knowledge by North Korea, China and Iran presents no threat to the United States.
—Laura Thornton, Twin Cities, 27 June 2025
In return, Russia has provided North Korea with various valuable pieces of weaponry and technology, including air defense equipment, anti-aircraft missiles, electronic warfare systems and refined oil.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 25 June 2025
In November, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged use of starvation as a method of warfare and crimes against humanity.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for warfare
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Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
The United States would be, to put it mildly, naïve to believe that the accumulation of intelligence and modern warfare knowledge by North Korea, China and Iran presents no threat to the United States.
—Laura Thornton, Twin Cities, 27 June 2025
In return, Russia has provided North Korea with various valuable pieces of weaponry and technology, including air defense equipment, anti-aircraft missiles, electronic warfare systems and refined oil.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 25 June 2025
In November, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged use of starvation as a method of warfare and crimes against humanity.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 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 2 Jul. 2025.
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warfare
noun
war·fare
ˈwȯr-ˌfa(ə)r 
-ˌfe(ə)r
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