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

Example Sentences

It said they had resisted "psychological warfare, extensive propaganda and seductive offers".

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026

During times of unrest, Tharallah coordinates intelligence, policing and the Basij, as well as psychological warfare.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 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

He ended up being an outspoken opponent of psychological warfare after World War II.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 12, 2024

Despite our success as a team, however, I was still wading through the minefield of micro-aggressions and psychological warfare from my teammates and the coaching staff.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad