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.

---

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

---

Etymology

Origin of psychological warfare

First recorded in 1935–40

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

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

The Army’s psychological warfare soldiers are using their brand of mental combat to bring in what the service needs: recruits.

From Seattle Times ● May 1, 2024

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 12, 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