dirty war

American  

noun

dirty wars plural

1. 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.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• dirty wars
  plural

Example Sentences

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

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

KIGOGO, Democratic Republic of Congo — Shortly after midday in this village nestled in clouds, the progenitors of the long, dirty war across Central Africa came out of the jungle and laid down their guns.

From New York Times • Jun. 28, 2014

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