warfare
Americannoun
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the process of military struggle between two nations or groups of nations; war.
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armed conflict between two massed enemies, armies, or the like.
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conflict, especially when vicious and unrelenting, between competitors, political rivals, etc.
noun
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the act, process, or an instance of waging war
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conflict, struggle, or strife
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of warfare
1425–75; late Middle English werefare, i.e., a faring forth to war; see war 1, fare
Explanation
When two countries fight violently with each other, the conflict is called warfare. Whenever a group engages in war or violence, it can be described with the noun warfare, which is another way of saying "the act of war." Terrorists might use guerrilla warfare tactics against their enemies, and governments may resort to warfare to put down revolutions. The word war originally comes from a Germanic root, werso, which means "to perplex or confuse."
Vocabulary lists containing warfare
Mesopotamia - Introductory
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"Culture Clash"
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Mesopotamia - Middle School and High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Fedorov, a popular minister who modernised the armed forces and pioneered drone warfare, was fired last month after reportedly falling out with the head of Ukraine's armed forces.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
As defence minister, his focus on drones, high-tech warfare and procurement continued, and saw him ask SpaceX founder Elon Musk to stop Russia from using Starlink satellites for drone attacks.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
The exercise -- enlisting 18,000 South Korean troops and counterparts from US forces in the country -- will have a heightened focus on drone warfare, GPS disruption and the role of cyber attacks, he said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
Ukrainian drones have previously crashed in all three Baltic states, which share borders with Russia, with officials blaming the incidents on Russian electronic warfare.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
He could not—he would not—renounce his wild field of mission warfare for the parlours and the peace of Vale Hall.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
