war powers

American  

plural noun

1. the powers exercised by the president or by Congress during a war or a crisis affecting national security.

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Etymology

Origin of war powers

First recorded in 1760–70

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

war powers

Representatives Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., are looking to force a vote on a war powers resolution.

From Salon ● Feb. 19, 2026

The president’s war powers are left largely undefined except for his having the title “Commander in Chief.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2025

One key purpose of the Constitution was to transfer war powers from the states to the federal government so that the nation could present a unified front to its enemies.

From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2023

In an effort to regain congressional war powers, the U.S.

From New York Times ● Mar. 30, 2023

Here was the matter of the war powers in a surprising form.

From Lincoln; An Account of his Personal Life, Especially of its Springs of Action as Revealed and Deepened by the Ordeal of War by Nathaniel W. (Nathaniel Wright) Stephenson

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