war story

American  

noun

1. an account or anecdote concerning one's personal experiences, especially in military combat, during a war.

2. Informal. a story about hardships, ordeals, or adventures one has undergone.

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Etymology

Origin of war story

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

But it’s Alvin, engineer and historical enthusiast, who distinguishes that “every war story was a systems story, usually one of a breakdown. Intentions were always good; decisions made at scale.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2025

He joined the BBC and the head of drama asked to turn his war story into a drama, Mimosa Boys, screened as part of the Play for Today series.

From BBC • May 3, 2022

More troubling than apparently unintended irony is that Akpan’s stratagem doesn’t imbue him with enough confidence to give free rein to that historical war story in any of the fictionalized iterations with which he toys.

From Washington Post • Nov. 2, 2021

There’s a dramatic update to another culture war story, one I covered last year up on Lopez Island.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 25, 2021

Every refugee had a war story; this was the one my parents must have told me a thousand times over.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda