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

As potential adversaries deploy sophisticated electronic warfare, signal spoofing and radio frequency (RF) spectrum jamming, traditional communications networks face operational limits. — Rohit Jha, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026

Built for multiple combat missions The approximately 9,700-ton destroyer is designed to support air defense, ballistic missile defense, anti-submarine warfare, and surface warfare missions. — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 29 Sep. 2026

And just as RPOs seem to be spurring a new phase of space warfare, the possibilities for their beneficial, peaceful use are proliferating, too. — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 29 Sep. 2026

In the emerging era of warfare, the United States cannot bear the deterrence burden alone. — Dan Driscoll, Foreign Affairs, 28 Sep. 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