Revolutionary War

American  

noun

1. American Revolution.

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Revolutionary War Cultural  

1. The war for American independence from Britain. The fighting began with the Battle of Lexington and Concord in 1775, and lasted through the Battle of Yorktown in 1781. General George Washington commanded the American forces, assisted by Ethan Allen, Benedict Arnold, Horatio Gates, John Paul Jones, and others. The leaders of the British included Charles Cornwallis, John Burgoyne, Thomas Gage, and William Howe, among others. The American cause was greatly aided by French ships and troops and by the presence of the French nobleman and soldier the Marquis de Lafayette. The Treaty of Paris in 1783 officially ended the war. (See Battle of Bunker Hill and Battle of Saratoga.)

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Etymology

Origin of Revolutionary War

1790–1800;

Example Sentences

That hasn’t stopped Americans from pushing back against the certainty of taxes—death is another matter—since the cry of “no taxation without representation” helped spark the Revolutionary War.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

A New Jersey estate built in 1771 for a Revolutionary War general is on the market for $3.995 million.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

Balfe: And the Revolutionary War has been circling them for a very long time.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2026

Ms Coons, whose ancestors have lived in Gainesboro since around the time of the US Revolutionary War, says she engaged Mr Engel in conversation.

From BBC • Dec. 29, 2025

In November 1777 Howe began planning a battle that would defeat Washington so thoroughly that he would be forced to surrender, and the Revolutionary War would end in a major British victory.

From "George Washington, Spymaster" by Thomas B. Allen