trench warfare

American  

noun

1. combat in which each side occupies a system of protective trenches.

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trench warfare British  

noun

1. a type of warfare in which opposing armies face each other in entrenched positions

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trench warfare Cultural  

1. Warfare marked by slow wearing down of the opposing forces and piecemeal gains at heavy cost. The term applies especially to World War I.

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Etymology

Origin of trench warfare

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

His contention that bombing industrial centers would lead to a speedy victory was seen by many as a response to World War I, and the long slog of trench warfare.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026

It was fought over several days in September 1914 and halted the German's advance on Paris, but was followed by years of trench warfare.

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2025

Defenders typically have advantages over attackers in trench warfare, and the Russian army has had months to dig in.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 8, 2023

When Sassoon first met Rivers, in July 1917, the young poet had been diagnosed with “shell shock” after months of trench warfare and sent to Craiglockhart War Hospital in Edinburgh to recover.

From New York Times • May 22, 2023

Our trenches have now for some time been shot to pieces, and we have an elastic line, so that there is practically no longer any proper trench warfare.

From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque