limited war

American  

noun

1. a war conducted with less than a nation's total resources and restricted in aim to less than total defeat of the enemy.

2. a war restricted to a relatively small area of the world and involving few warring nations.

---

limited war British  

noun

1. a war in which the belligerents do not seek the total destruction of the enemy, esp one in which nuclear weapons are deliberately not used

---

Etymology

Origin of limited war

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

limited war

One possible explanation is that Tehran believes that, despite its risks, a limited war serves its interests better.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

The war against Iran has been a limited war, and its outcome is likely to be inconclusive.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026

Since then, the United States returned to fight Iraq to overthrow Saddam Hussein; in Afghanistan, clear, limited war aims were never stated.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 23, 2023

In 1999, the two countries fought a limited war in Kargil.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 12, 2022

It is that limited war permits the use of the defensive without its usual drawbacks to a degree that is impossible in unlimited war.

From Some Principles of Maritime Strategy by Julian S. (Julian Stafford) Corbett