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

As Campbell recalls in his memoir, producer Jimmy Iovine and his engineer Shelly Yakus pushed everyone so hard in the studio that it began to feel like psychological warfare.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 14, 2025

This is a mind-blowing bit of psychological warfare!

From Slate • Nov. 13, 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