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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Five years was serious business, the length of world wars and Soviet economic plans. Literary Hub, 13 June 2025 She was believed to have been the second-oldest nun after Sister André, a French nun who lived through two world wars and the 1918 influenza pandemic and survived Covid-19. Neil Vigdor, New York Times, 2 May 2025 The aftermath of two world wars shattered many of the old certainties. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025 It was deployed during the War of 1812 and both world wars. Niall Stanage, The Hill, 17 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for world war

Word History

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of world war was in 1848

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Cite this Entry

“World war.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/world%20war. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

world war

noun
: a war involving all or most of the chief nations of the world
especially, capitalized both Ws : either of two such wars of the 20th century

More from Merriam-Webster on world war

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