warlord

1 of 2

noun (1)

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

warlordism

2 of 2

noun (2)

war·​lord·​ism

plural -s

: the policies or practices of a warlord

Examples of warlord in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Kai’s father figure, Uncle Six (Byron Mann), is one of the warlords bent on domination, setting up a Star Wars-esque clash between father and son. — David Faris, TheWeek, 10 July 2026

For weeks, a meme has circulated of Mbappé as a warlord, dictating his teammates’ roles. — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 10 July 2026

Abdiqassim Salad Hassan meets with warlord Hussein Mohamed Aidid in Surt, Libya, to discuss reconciliation. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 July 2026

Its flint-hearted ferocity was a return to what the dynasts of the past—warlords, kings, and dictators—would find routine. — Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun (1)

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