dirty war

American

noun

a war conducted by the military or secret police of a regime against revolutionary and terrorist insurgents and marked by the regime's use of kidnapping, torture, and murder, with members of the civilian population often the victims.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

For Moreno Ocampo, the politics of the dirty war were personal and familial.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2023

They say they are tired and want to take the lead in denouncing what they call a dirty war.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 7, 2018

Historians call this period of disappearances the dirty war.

From New York Times • Nov. 20, 2017

He came of age during Argentina’s dirty war, a period that nearly brought the country to the brink of civil war and economic ruin.

From The Guardian • Sep. 23, 2015

He told the BBC: "I think it's very ironic that we've had talk of a dirty war, and we've had talks of dirty deals, and we've talks of dirty peace."

From BBC • Mar. 6, 2014

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023