hot war

American  

noun

1. open military conflict; an armed conflict between nations.

   The increasing tension in the Middle East could lead to a hot war.

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Etymology

Origin of hot war

First recorded in 1945–50; by analogy with cold war

Compare meaning

How does hot-war compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• cold war vs. hot war

Example Sentences

That strategy focuses on minimalist, gradual gains - more hybrid war than hot war.

From Washington Times

If it went from a cold to a hot war it would ignite a Middle East conflagration of global significance.

From BBC

This is the war that was being fought under the surface, but was being fought to affect that hot war and give the commanders of the hot war an edge.

From Scientific American

Despite the hundreds of billions of dollars poured into defence spending, China's armed forces do not have much recent experience in a hot war, with its last - and brief - military conflict in 1979 with Vietnam.

From Reuters

Even with the huge defense budgets of the Cold War it was not a hot war, a hungry war that had to be fed.

From Salon