war

[ wawr ]

/ wɔr /

Save This Word!

noun

a conflict carried on by force of arms, as between nations or between parties within a nation; warfare, as by land, sea, or air.

a state or period of armed hostility or active military operations: The two nations were at war with each other.

a contest carried on by force of arms, as in a series of battles or campaigns: the War of 1812.

armed fighting, as a science, profession, activity, or art; methods or principles of waging armed conflict: War is the soldier's business.

active hostility or contention; conflict; contest: a war of words.

aggressive business conflict, as through severe price cutting in the same industry or any other means of undermining competitors: a fare war among airlines; a trade war between nations.

a struggle to achieve a goal: the war on cancer;a war against poverty;a war for hearts and minds.

Cards.

a game for two or more persons, played with a 52-card pack evenly divided between the players, in which each player turns up one card at a time with the higher card taking the lower, and in which, when both turned up cards match, each player lays one card face down and turns up another, the player with the higher card of the second turn taking all the cards laid down.
an occasion in this game when both turned up cards match.

Archaic. a battle.

verb (used without object), warred, war·ring.

to make or carry on war; fight: to war with a neighboring nation.

to carry on active hostility or contention: Throughout her life she warred with sin and corruption.

to be in conflict or in a state of strong opposition: The temptation warred with his conscience.

adjective

of, belonging to, used in, or due to war: war preparations; war hysteria.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of war

First recorded before 1150; Middle English noun wer(re), war(re), late Old English werre, wyrre, from Old North French wer(r)e, waire, from Old Frankish werra (unrecorded), from Germanic; cognate with Old High German werra, Middle Low German, Middle Dutch werre “strife, discord”; verb derivative of the noun; akin to war², worse

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH war

war , wore

Words nearby war

wapentake, wapiti, wappenshaw, wapperjaw, Wapsipinicon, war, waragi, War and Peace, Warangal, waratah, warb

Other definitions for war (2 of 3)

war²

[ wahr ]

/ wɑr /

adjective, adverb Scot. and North England.

worse.

Origin of war

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English wer(re), war(re), from Old Norse verri worse

Other definitions for war (3 of 3)

war.

abbreviation

warrant.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use war in a sentence

In a distant, war-torn land, there were 13 castles — three more than the usual 10 from prior battles.
Can You Reach The Summit First?|Zach Wissner-Gross|September 11, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
Much of Silicon Valley, in a hyperbolically named “war for talent,” followed suit.
The complaints of the entitled workers of Silicon Valley|Adam Lashinsky|September 8, 2020|Fortune
When the war ended, however, those ceilings were lifted, and unsurprisingly the price of meat skyrocketed.
Why meat could be top of mind for voters in the upcoming election|jakemeth|September 5, 2020|Fortune
Mulan’s elderly father is being called away to war, and he has no son to go in his place.
The history of Mulan, from a 6th-century ballad to the live-action Disney movie|Constance Grady|September 4, 2020|Vox

Baggott doesn’t end the fight but puts it in context by digging up the family feuds which started the war.
Your Guide to the Many Meanings of Quantum Mechanics - Facts So Romantic|Sabine Hossenfelder|September 3, 2020|Nautilus
They are, to say the least, preparing for civil war (the polling stations are stormed by armed gangs).
Houellebecq’s Incendiary Novel Imagines France With a Muslim President|Pierre Assouline|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But what is there more irresponsible than playing with the fire of an imagined civil war in the France of today?
Houellebecq’s Incendiary Novel Imagines France With a Muslim President|Pierre Assouline|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Cold War fears could be manipulated through misleading art to attract readers to daunting material.
How Pulp Fiction Saved Literature|Wendy Smith|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Kennedy: "Mankind must put an end to war — or war will put an end to mankind."
Huckabee 2016: Bend Over and Take It Like a Prisoner!|Olivia Nuzzi|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It is not a decisive war, with a single, signature victory, but a war of attrition.
Pentagon Doesn’t Know How Many People It’s Killed in the ISIS War|Nancy A. Youssef|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
He distinguished himself in several campaigns, especially in the Peninsular war, and was raised to the rank of field marshal.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
His 6,000 native auxiliaries (as it proved later on) could not be relied upon in a civil war.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
"There is no more war," Brion translated for Ulv, realizing that the Disan had understood nothing of the explanation.
Sense of Obligation|Henry Maxwell Dempsey (AKA Harry Harrison)
I cannot reconcile the idea of a tender Heavenly Father with the known horrors of war, slavery, pestilence, and insanity.
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford
We were now masters of the whole country, and the war was apparently at an end.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various

British Dictionary definitions for war (1 of 2)

war

/ (wɔː) /

noun

open armed conflict between two or more parties, nations, or statesRelated adjectives: belligerent, martial

a particular armed conflictthe 1973 war in the Middle East

the techniques of armed conflict as a study, science, or profession

any conflict or contesta war of wits; the war against crime

(modifier) of, relating to, resulting from, or characteristic of wara war hero; war damage; a war story

to have had a good war to have made the most of the opportunities presented to one during wartime

in the wars informal (esp of a child) hurt or knocked about, esp as a result of quarrelling and fighting

verb wars, warring or warred

(intr) to conduct a war

Word Origin for war

C12: from Old Northern French werre (variant of Old French guerre), of Germanic origin; related to Old High German werra

British Dictionary definitions for war (2 of 2)

War.

abbreviation for

Warwickshire

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with war

war

In addition to the idioms beginning with war

ward off
war horse
war of nerves

also see:

all's fair in love and war
at war
been to the wars
declare war
tug of war

war

Origin of war

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH war

Words nearby war

Other definitions for war (2 of 3)

Origin of war

Other definitions for war (3 of 3)

Words related to war

How to use war in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for war (1 of 2)

Word Origin for war

British Dictionary definitions for war (2 of 2)

Other Idioms and Phrases with war