wartime

noun, often attributive

war·time | \ ˈwȯr-ˌtīm

How to pronounce wartime (audio)

\

Definition of wartime

: a period during which a war is in progress rationing during wartime

Examples of wartime in a Sentence

Many goods were rationed during wartime.

Recent Examples on the Web The real-life story involves Afghan and Iraqi citizens who have jeopardized their safety to work with the U.S. military as translators or interpreters during wartime. — Los Angeles Times, "‘The United States of Al’ producer fends off backlash sparked by show’s first trailer," 22 Mar. 2021 The tension of the shoot (which took place during wartime, at high risk) and the immediacy of the drama elevated the entire cast to a sharp dramatic focus. — Richard Brody, The New Yorker, "Ingrid Bergman in “Stromboli” and the Power of Nonprofessional Actors," 6 Mar. 2021 In the early days of the 20th century the federal government overspent only during wartime or to address a crisis. — Mike Patton, Forbes, "CBO Projects Individual Income Tax Liability Will Rise 66% By 2031," 2 Mar. 2021 Only five Olympics have ever been canceled, all during wartime: the 1916, 1940, and 1944 Summer Olympics, and the Winter Games in 1940 and 1944. — Stephen Wade, The Christian Science Monitor, "Tokyo Olympics 2021: Will they really happen?," 19 Jan. 2021 The logic for this action was that in wartime, uniforms should be made here - simply because soldiers need clothes. — Rick Helfenbein, Forbes, "Does America Need A Fashion Czar?," 2 Mar. 2021 Surely a transit system like that would never have been abandoned in wartime. — Carl Nolte, San Francisco Chronicle, "When Marin's best transit system reached end of line," 27 Feb. 2021 The Black Hawk, the workhorse in wartime and in natural disasters, is facing a challenge familiar to those in middle age as a new and faster helicopter swoops in to take its place. — Stephen Singer, courant.com, "Pentagon planners are looking to replace Sikorsky’s Black Hawk, middle-aged and slower than the next generation of helicopters," 27 Feb. 2021 Some people speculate the aircraft are testing sensors, particularly radars, whose mission would be to detect stealthy aircraft and cruise missiles in wartime. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The F-117A Nighthawk Is Allegedly Retired. So Why Is It Secretly Flying Over L.A.?," 23 Feb. 2021

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

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about wartime

Dictionary Entries near wartime

Statistics for wartime

Last Updated

3 Apr 2021

Cite this Entry

“Wartime.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wartime. Accessed 14 Apr. 2021.

Style: MLA

MLA

Chicago

APA

Merriam-Webster Check Mark Icon

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for wartime

wartime

noun

English Language Learners Definition of wartime

: a time when a country is involved in a war

See the full definition for wartime in the English Language Learners Dictionary

WORD OF THE DAY

discomfit

Listen to the pronunciation of discomfit

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

The Exceptions Quiz III

Which of these words does not mean "nonsense"?

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ

Spell words. Make bears.

TAKE THE QUIZ