warfare

[ wawr-fair ]

/ ˈwɔrˌfɛər /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for warfare on Thesaurus.com

noun

the process of military struggle between two nations or groups of nations; war.

armed conflict between two massed enemies, armies, or the like.

conflict, especially when vicious and unrelenting, between competitors, political rivals, etc.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of warfare

1425–75; late Middle English werefare, i.e., a faring forth to war; see war¹, fare

OTHER WORDS FROM warfare

sem·i·war·fare, noun

Words nearby warfare

warehousing, wareroom, wares, war establishment, warez, warfare, warfarin, Warfield, war footing, war game, war hawk

How to use warfare in a sentence

Soon the implications for warfare occupied everybody’s attention.
How understanding nature made the atomic bomb inevitable|Tom Siegfried|August 6, 2020|Science News
Smoke released by wildfires in the Pacific Northwest in 2017 have already helped confirm computer models of nuclear warfare, says Alan Robock.
Australian wildfires pumped smoke to record heights|Maria Temming|July 27, 2020|Science News For Students
History has suggested ancient societies left warfare to men.
Skeletons hint that ancient societies had women warriors|Bruce Bower|May 28, 2020|Science News For Students
There’ll be global shortages leading to warfare breaking out all over the world.
Reasons to Be Cheerful (Ep. 417)|Stephen J. Dubner|May 7, 2020|Freakonomics

We’ve been a leader in innovations, they’ve dramatically changed warfare, and in our favor.
Speak Softly and Carry Big Data (Ep. 395)|Stephen J. Dubner|October 31, 2019|Freakonomics
The priority that the regime places on cyber warfare is made clear by its recruiting.
Inside the ‘Surprisingly Great’ North Korean Hacker Hotel|Michael Daly|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Mired in ideological warfare, America faces her most formidable opponent yet— herself.
The Post-Brown and Garner Question: Who ‘Deserves’ to Die?|Goldie Taylor|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They were making it up as they went along, and creating a new kind of warfare.
How the NSA Became a Killing Machine|Shane Harris|November 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the opening moments of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, players are introduced to 2054 Seoul.
Kevin Spacey Stars as a Frank Underwood-like Warmonger in ‘Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare’|Alec Kubas-Meyer|November 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Think advanced unmanned vehicles, all-aspect, broadband stealth, and undersea warfare.
The Pentagon May Finally Have a Plan to Keep America on Top|Bill Sweetman|November 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I never had to fight again except as an unwilling participant in our foreign warfare.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland|Joseph Tatlow
It is true that they wanted the picturesque splendour of ancient warfare.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
One of the latest uses to which asbestos has been proposed to be applied in connection with warfare is as a coating for ironclads.
Asbestos|Robert H. Jones
Balfour Browne and Littler now conducted the warfare on either side, and keenly they fought.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland|Joseph Tatlow
Organisation was his first work, and his former experience of irregular warfare in Poland stood him in good stead.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison

British Dictionary definitions for warfare

warfare

/ (ˈwɔːˌfɛə) /

noun

the act, process, or an instance of waging war

conflict, struggle, or strife

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

warfare

Origin of warfare

OTHER WORDS FROM warfare

Words nearby warfare

Words related to warfare

How to use warfare in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for warfare