world war
noun
: a war engaged in by all or most of the principal nations of the world
especially,
World War
: either of two such wars of the first half of the 20th century
Examples of world war in a Sentence
He fought in both World Wars.
The nations were prepared for world war.
Recent Examples on the Web
Cortes: America quite literally saved the world three times in the 20th century: in two world wars, and then in the Cold War.
—
Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 July 2025
After two world wars and years of housing business tenants, the site transitioned to a Marion County Jail in the mid-1990s.
—Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
Iran doves within the administration and their allies are making the same disingenuous arguments that John Kerry and the gang made during the Obama administration — that the only alternative to a deal is a world war.
—The Editors, National Review, 29 May 2025
Unlike other war crimes codified in the aftermath of the two world wars, the use of starvation as a weapon of armed conflict was not formally prohibited in international law until 1977.
—Boyd Van Dijk, Foreign Affairs, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for world war
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Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 July 2025
After two world wars and years of housing business tenants, the site transitioned to a Marion County Jail in the mid-1990s.
—Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
Iran doves within the administration and their allies are making the same disingenuous arguments that John Kerry and the gang made during the Obama administration — that the only alternative to a deal is a world war.
—The Editors, National Review, 29 May 2025
Unlike other war crimes codified in the aftermath of the two world wars, the use of starvation as a weapon of armed conflict was not formally prohibited in international law until 1977.
—Boyd Van Dijk, Foreign Affairs, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for world war
Cite this Entry
“World war.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/world%20war. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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