warlord

noun

war·​lord ˈwȯr-ˌlȯrd 

1

: a supreme military leader

2

: a military commander exercising civil power by force usually in a limited area

warlordism

ˈwȯr-ˌlȯr-ˌdi-zəm 

noun

Examples of warlord in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In places such as Somalia and Yemen, Washington’s solution has been to launch drone attacks on jihadi leaders and operatives and provide limited support to regional governments, warlords, and tribal leaders to keep jihadi groups off balance. — Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2026

The ruthless warlord was one of the most notorious figures of the conflict that left more than 100,000 people dead and over 1 million homeless. — ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026

The ruthless, blue-eyed former communist officer turned nationalist warlord was one of the most notorious figures of the conflict that left more than 100,000 people dead and over 1 million homeless. — CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026

To drive home his point, Niccolò gifts Medici a manuscript based on his years of keeping counsel with warlords and royals. — Charles Lewis Iii, Mercury News, 6 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for warlord

• abhorred
• aboard
• accord
• adored
• afford
• award
• baseboard
• billboard
• blackboard
• boxboard
• breadboard
• broadsword

Kids Definition

warlord

noun

war·​lord ˈwȯ(ə)r-ˌlȯ(ə)rd 

1

: an important military leader

2

: a military leader who governs an area by force