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

See Examples For:

Revolutionary War

The end of the Revolutionary War meant the fledgling U.S. no longer had the protection of Great Britain’s Royal Navy, the largest fleet in the world.

From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026

The document was uncovered by a volunteer in February while cataloguing the papers of Royal Navy captains from the American Revolutionary War.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

Among the worst defeats suffered by Americans during the Revolutionary War occurred on Nov. 16, 1776, when Fort Washington fell.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026

Once the Revolutionary War commenced, and for years after, America’s merchant marine fleet was targeted by pirates of every stripe.

From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026

Eleanor’s ancestors had fought in the Revolutionary War.

From "The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights" by Russell Freedman