psychological warfare

American  

noun

1. the use of propaganda, threats, and other psychological techniques to mislead, intimidate, demoralize, or otherwise influence the thinking or behavior of an opponent.

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psychological warfare British  

noun

1. the military application of psychology, esp to propaganda and attempts to influence the morale of enemy and friendly groups in time of war

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Etymology

Origin of psychological warfare

First recorded in 1935–40

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

psychological warfare

This one is closer to a bout of no-holds-barred mud wrestling, with a side of psychological warfare.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026

In an “open letter to Trello leadership,” one person begins by asking, “Are you secretly conducting psychological warfare, or did a sleep-deprived intern hit ‘publish’ on your latest update by accident?”

From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2025

One border region, Ganghwa county, said in a statement: "We hope this decision will lead to an end to North Korea's noise-based psychological warfare, allowing our residents to return to their normal daily lives."

From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2025

Frontline loudspeaker broadcasts were also used by the rival Koreas for psychological warfare during the Cold War, along with giant frontline billboards and propaganda radio broadcasts.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 7, 2024

In what might be termed an experiment in psychological warfare, the attractant is combined with a granular material and distributed by planes.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

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