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

Sam Altman, of OpenAI, has claimed that generative AI could bring about the end of human civilization, and that AI poses a risk of extinction on a par with nuclear warfare and global pandemics. —Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025

Every dollar of federal funding NYC receives—which New Yorkers’ own tax payments help fund—will now require legal warfare to secure. —Newsweek Contributors, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025

While Allura’s relationship status is one of active warfare, each of her fellow partners’ respective statuses is a different manifestation of their line of work. —Tom Smyth, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2025

Data, competition, and the future of drone warfare The competition among units is fierce but cooperative when combat intensifies. —Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2025

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