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

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

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

Seabiscuit’s psychological warfare raised more problems than simple wounded pride.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand