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
According to the information warfare research group OpenMinds, the number of advertisements promoting contract military service that specifically target foreigners has risen more than sevenfold since this summer.
—
Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 25 Nov. 2025
Previously, Virginia-class fast-attack submarines have enhanced stealth, sophisticated surveillance capabilities and special warfare enhancements that enable them to meet the Navy’s multi-mission requirements.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 23 Nov. 2025
This new mode of hybrid warfare is carried out on land, air, and sea, but without ground troops — yet.
—Trudy Rubin, Twin Cities, 23 Nov. 2025
Although blame for the incidents has been very difficult to pin down, NATO officials and experts say Russia is well-versed in hybrid warfare.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for warfare
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Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 25 Nov. 2025
Previously, Virginia-class fast-attack submarines have enhanced stealth, sophisticated surveillance capabilities and special warfare enhancements that enable them to meet the Navy’s multi-mission requirements.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 23 Nov. 2025
This new mode of hybrid warfare is carried out on land, air, and sea, but without ground troops — yet.
—Trudy Rubin, Twin Cities, 23 Nov. 2025
Although blame for the incidents has been very difficult to pin down, NATO officials and experts say Russia is well-versed in hybrid warfare.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Nov. 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 28 Nov. 2025.
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warfare
noun
war·fare
ˈwȯr-ˌfa(ə)r 
-ˌfe(ə)r
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