state of war
Americannoun
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a condition marked by armed conflict between or among states, existing whether or not war has been declared formally by any of the belligerents.
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a legal condition initiated and concluded by formal declaration, and not necessarily involving armed conflict.
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the duration of such a condition.
noun
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a period of armed conflict between states, regardless of whether or not war has been officially declared
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a legal condition begun by a declaration of war and ended formally, during which the rules of international law applicable to warfare may be invoked
Etymology
Origin of state of war
First recorded in 1945–50
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The neighboring states "declare their intent to conclusively end the conflict, address its underlying causes, and to therewith formally conclude any state of war between them."
From Barron's ● Jun. 27, 2026
The two neighbours have technically been in a state of war since 1948 and have no diplomatic relations.
From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2026
Les and Lindy fall in and out of understanding as they drift into a state of war; she gains power, self-knowledge and self-sufficiency, even as he falls apart.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 8, 2026
This is a nation in which military service is near universal for both sexes and a state of war has been continuous for 2½ years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 7, 2026
“Do you really think that the United States of America is in a state of war with Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan?”
From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
