warlord

[ wawr-lawrd ]

noun

1. a military leader, especially of a warlike nation.
2. a military commander who has seized power, especially in one section of a country.
3. tuchun.

warlord

/ ˈwɔːˌlɔːd /

noun

1. a military leader of a nation or part of a nation, esp one who is accountable to nobody when the central government is weak

   the Chinese warlords

Other Words From

• warlordism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of warlord¹

First recorded in 1855–60; war ¹ + lord

Example Sentences

Additionally, the Taliban were able to get this far through cutting deals with warlords — a lesson they learned from their failures in 2001.

From Vox

Experts said armed resistance to the Taliban over the coming months is possible, too, particularly given the weaponry that warlords and their militias have, depending on how the Taliban proceed.

From Vox

The various mujahideen factions turned on one another, sparking a civil war between warlords that lasted until the Taliban seized Kabul in 1996.

From Washington Post

We also cannot allow the old warlords, looters and strongmen that people are fed up with to come back in the name of inclusiveness and a representative government.

From Time

In years past, the bedrock of the party’s narrative was rescuing China from the “century of humiliation” wrought by warlords and colonial powers.

From Time

Dostum is a warlord par excellence and a classic product of Afghan politics, which is both local and volatile.

From The Daily Beast

He was a Burmese national—resistance fighter, drug smuggler, kidnapper, warlord.

From The Daily Beast

Adventurer journalist Robert Young Pelton is crowdfunding a trip to find African warlord Joseph Kony.

From The Daily Beast

Pelton says he has been tracking the warlord through his many personal contacts on the ground since 1993.

From The Daily Beast

Indeed, in April of this year, the United States offered a reward of $5 million a head for the warlord and some of his top aides.

From The Daily Beast

You deny any knowledge of the Warlord battleship that is being built from these modified plans.

From Project Gutenberg

Be that as it may, however, the important thing is that Miotis was the name of this warlord, whatever one may feel about his name.

From Project Gutenberg

The warlord waved a hand, and as if by magic the court was emptied but for the guards who never left their posts.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• assailant
• boxer
• champion
• combatant
• mercenary
• militant
• opponent
• soldier
• tanker
• warrior