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

Example Sentences

Their conversation focuses on constitutional constraints, the role of Congress, and the principles of international law, and emphasizes the need for Congress to reclaim its war powers.

From Slate • Mar. 2, 2026

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

A war powers resolution is an act of Congress that is based on a 1973 law of the same name.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 14, 2026

We also have something called Article I of the Constitution that vests war powers in Congress.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 8, 2025

On the other hand the President, if he abuses the war powers "when peace returns, is answerable to the civil power for that abuse."

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