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
Adjusting for inflation, the last time the national security budget topped $1 trillion was in 1945, the final year of World War II.
Unlike a world war, there’s nothing happening today that can justify this level of spending.
—
Lindsay Koshgarian, Orange County Register, 11 July 2024
Existentialism emerged in the early- to mid-20th century, against the backdrop of two devastating world wars, and many of the existentialists were responding to that.
—Sean Illing, Vox, 6 July 2024
By taking Narva, Putin would test whether the bloc is really willing to risk a third world war over a few square miles on the Russian border.
—Mikhail Zygar, Foreign Affairs, 28 June 2024
The origins of art therapy go back to attempts to treat soldiers struggling with post-traumatic stress during the 20th century’s two world wars.
—Girija Kaimal, Discover Magazine, 26 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for world war 
Lindsay Koshgarian, Orange County Register, 11 July 2024
Existentialism emerged in the early- to mid-20th century, against the backdrop of two devastating world wars, and many of the existentialists were responding to that.
—Sean Illing, Vox, 6 July 2024
By taking Narva, Putin would test whether the bloc is really willing to risk a third world war over a few square miles on the Russian border.
—Mikhail Zygar, Foreign Affairs, 28 June 2024
The origins of art therapy go back to attempts to treat soldiers struggling with post-traumatic stress during the 20th century’s two world wars.
—Girija Kaimal, Discover Magazine, 26 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for world war
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'world war.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near world war
Cite this Entry
“World war.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/world%20war. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
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