warlord

[ wawr-lawrd ]

/ ˈwɔrˌlɔrd /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR warlord ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a military leader, especially of a warlike nation.

a military commander who has seized power, especially in one section of a country.

tuchun.

Nearby words

Origin of warlord

First recorded in 1855–60; war¹ + lord

Related formswar·lord·ism, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for warlord

Dostum is a warlord par excellence and a classic product of Afghan politics, which is both local and volatile.
The Warlord Who Defines Afghanistan: An Excerpt From Bruce Riedel’s ’What We Won’|Bruce Riedel|July 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He was a Burmese national—resistance fighter, drug smuggler, kidnapper, warlord.
How China Used Drones to Capture a Notorious Burmese Drug Lord|Brendon Hong|April 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Adventurer journalist Robert Young Pelton is crowdfunding a trip to find African warlord Joseph Kony.
Robert Young Pelton on His Expedition To Find Joseph Kony|Amanda Sperber|November 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Pelton says he has been tracking the warlord through his many personal contacts on the ground since 1993.
Robert Young Pelton on His Expedition To Find Joseph Kony|Amanda Sperber|November 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Indeed, in April of this year, the United States offered a reward of $5 million a head for the warlord and some of his top aides.
Robert Young Pelton on His Expedition To Find Joseph Kony|Amanda Sperber|November 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The warlord waved a hand, and as if by magic the court was emptied but for the guards who never left their posts.
Once Upon A Planet|J. J. Allerton
Be that as it may, however, the important thing is that Miotis was the name of this warlord, whatever one may feel about his name.
Once Upon A Planet|J. J. Allerton
You deny any knowledge of the Warlord battleship that is being built from these modified plans.
The Misplaced Battleship|Harry Harrison (AKA Henry Maxwell Dempsey)

British Dictionary definitions for warlord

warlord

/ (ˈwɔːˌlɔːd) /

noun

a military leader of a nation or part of a nation, esp one who is accountable to nobody when the central government is weakthe Chinese warlords

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