warlike

adjective

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war·like | \ ˈwȯr-ˌlīk

Definition of warlike

1 obsolete : ready for war : equipped to fight

2 : fit for, disposed to, or fond of war : bellicose a warlike people

3 : of, relating to, or useful in war warlike preparations

4 : befitting or characteristic of war or a soldier warlike cries

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About warlike

Examples of warlike in a Sentence

The government has been criticized for its warlike attitude. a seafarer's legend that the remote island was inhabited by a warlike and uncivilized tribe

Recent Examples on the Web Daniel Defense — like many firearms companies — has leaned into warlike imagery to sell its guns. — Todd C. Frankel, Washington Post, 29 May 2022 That last piece has the most representational imagery of any in this set, although its two warlike figures (one of whom appears to be Brown) constitute just a small part of the complex, mostly abstract picture. — Washington Post, 15 Apr. 2022 If the ideal is a world in which neither party feels democracy is under siege, these warlike postures represent a grim finding. — The New Republic, 14 Apr. 2022 Tribal societies could be hierarchical and warlike, the Davids show, as well as egalitarian and peaceful. — John Horgan, Scientific American, 28 Feb. 2022 This warlike mentality is shared by Groundswell, the political group that Thomas has chaired. — Jane Mayer, The New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2022 The fractured Anglo-French relationship has made headlines on both sides of the channel, with disputes over fish inspiring warlike comment in many of Britain’s newspapers. — Shafi Musaddique, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Nov. 2021 Both also seem to harbor a suspicion that the world of guns and gun-owners might always have been at least a bit like this, rich with paranoia and warlike thinking. — Benjamin Wallace-wells, The New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2021 In certain ways, the Wendat (and Iroquoian societies in general around that time) were extraordinarily warlike. — David Graeber, Harper's Magazine, 26 Oct. 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'warlike.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.