warlord
Americannoun
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a military leader, especially of a warlike nation.
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a military commander who has seized power, especially in one section of a country.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of warlord
Explanation
An aggressive military commander with extremely loyal forces is sometimes called a warlord. Warlords usually control a small territory within a country. According to political scientists, warlords tend to gain power following the fall of a large empire and the rise of small, weak states in its place. The main thing distinguishing warlords from other types of rulers is that they have loyal followers who are well armed and obedient to the individual warlord rather than the actual government. The term warlord dates from the 1850s, but it wasn't common until the 1920s.
Vocabulary lists containing warlord
Africa - Middle School
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Africa - High School
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The Middle East and Central Asia - Introductory
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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.
John Stallard, who runs Warlord Games, said his company, which produces historical and science fiction miniature games, saw a growth of 30% compared with this time last year.
From BBC • Aug. 21, 2021
Collins’s many acolytes had a slightly different take on his achievements, especially the wide-ranging influence of the Warlord Loop.
From Washington Post • Nov. 23, 2018
"Frontline" explores the controversial relationship between a tire manufacturer and former Liberian leader Charles Taylor in the new exposé "Firestone and the Warlord."
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 14, 2014
An Eastern Western full of train robberies, masked bandits, and shoot-outs in dry gulches, the movie is set in the 1920s during China’s Warlord Period, when the country was torn into kleptocratic fiefdoms.
From Slate • Feb. 29, 2012
The Warlord detected a sob in the squirrel's voice.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
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.
