war

[ wawr ]

/ wɔr /

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noun

a conflict carried on by force of arms, as between nations or between parties within a nation; warfare, as by land, sea, or air.

a state or period of armed hostility or active military operations: The two nations were at war with each other.

a contest carried on by force of arms, as in a series of battles or campaigns: the War of 1812.

armed fighting, as a science, profession, activity, or art; methods or principles of waging armed conflict: War is the soldier's business.

active hostility or contention; conflict; contest: a war of words.

aggressive business conflict, as through severe price cutting in the same industry or any other means of undermining competitors: a fare war among airlines; a trade war between nations.

a struggle to achieve a goal: the war on cancer;a war against poverty;a war for hearts and minds.

Cards.

a game for two or more persons, played with a 52-card pack evenly divided between the players, in which each player turns up one card at a time with the higher card taking the lower, and in which, when both turned up cards match, each player lays one card face down and turns up another, the player with the higher card of the second turn taking all the cards laid down.
an occasion in this game when both turned up cards match.

Archaic. a battle.

verb (used without object), warred, war·ring.

to make or carry on war; fight: to war with a neighboring nation.

to carry on active hostility or contention: Throughout her life she warred with sin and corruption.

to be in conflict or in a state of strong opposition: The temptation warred with his conscience.

adjective

of, belonging to, used in, or due to war: war preparations; war hysteria.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of war

First recorded before 1150; Middle English noun wer(re), war(re), late Old English werre, wyrre, from Old North French wer(r)e, waire, from Old Frankish werra (unrecorded), from Germanic; cognate with Old High German werra, Middle Low German, Middle Dutch werre “strife, discord”; verb derivative of the noun; akin to war², worse

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH war

war , wore

Other definitions for war (2 of 3)

war²

[ wahr ]

/ wɑr /

adjective, adverb Scot. and North England.

worse.

Origin of war

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English wer(re), war(re), from Old Norse verri worse

Other definitions for war (3 of 3)

war.

abbreviation

warrant.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use war in a sentence

It’s clear that this holiday season, retailers that win the delivery wars will win the holidays.
The 2020 holiday season is here: Get your digital house in order|Adam Dorfman|November 12, 2020|Search Engine Land
Cardoso took a position at the state-owned media agency, but left shortly before the post-independence civil war ended in 1992.
The Death of a Journalist — and a Free Press — in Mozambique|Eromo Egbejule|November 12, 2020|Ozy
Many of these men and women have spent decades avoiding questions about their service during the war, leading their children and grandchildren to stop asking.
One man’s urgent mission: Photographing World War II veterans before they’re gone|Jessica Contrera|November 11, 2020|Washington Post
Many packaging plants contained residual radium from creating machinery during the war, and the contamination was enough to ruin the X-ray plates.
What really happened during the ‘Kentucky meat shower’?|PopSci Staff|November 11, 2020|Popular-Science

After the war, Sparks returned to the Southwest and settled in Colorado, where he headed the state National Guard as a brigadier general.
How Dachau’s American Liberator Protected Nazi POWs|Pallabi Munsi|November 11, 2020|Ozy
The feisty feminist in me has often warred with the longtime gamer in me.
The Cake Is a Lie: Sexism Isn’t a Boss Gamer Girls Can Beat|Emily V Gordon|July 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
That warred-over political geography lie at the heart of man and legend—and the nomadic Apache world.
The Bin Laden of His Day? A New Biography of Geronimo|Marc Wortman|December 5, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Husbands and wives warred, ex-spouses sniped, children grew into adults, and partners fell out.
‘Mad Men’ Finale and Video of Best Season 5 Moments|Jace Lacob|June 11, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The younger children probably warred against school long before fourteen years of life gave them freedom.
The Leaven in a Great City|Lillian William Betts
For seven long years King Karl and his Franks warred in the peninsula.
With Spurs of Gold|Frances Nimmo Greene
In seeking to invade Spain, Charlemagne warred against a race from whom Europe had nothing more to fear.
Beacon Lights of History, Volume V|John Lord
Bitter-sweet recollections warred in heart and brain as he watched the beautiful and well-loved panorama.
The Terms of Surrender|Louis Tracy
As he proceeded on his way he felt a weight at his heart, and a thousand different ideas warred in his mind.
The Fourth Estate, vol. 2|Armando Palacio Valds

British Dictionary definitions for war (1 of 2)

war

/ (wɔː) /

noun

open armed conflict between two or more parties, nations, or statesRelated adjectives: belligerent, martial

a particular armed conflictthe 1973 war in the Middle East

the techniques of armed conflict as a study, science, or profession

any conflict or contesta war of wits; the war against crime

(modifier) of, relating to, resulting from, or characteristic of wara war hero; war damage; a war story

to have had a good war to have made the most of the opportunities presented to one during wartime

in the wars informal (esp of a child) hurt or knocked about, esp as a result of quarrelling and fighting

verb wars, warring or warred

(intr) to conduct a war

Word Origin for war

C12: from Old Northern French werre (variant of Old French guerre), of Germanic origin; related to Old High German werra

British Dictionary definitions for war (2 of 2)

War.

abbreviation for

Warwickshire

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with war

war

In addition to the idioms beginning with war

ward off
war horse
war of nerves

also see:

all's fair in love and war
at war
been to the wars
declare war
tug of war

war

Origin of war

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH war

Other definitions for war (2 of 3)

Origin of war

Other definitions for war (3 of 3)

Words related to war

How to use war in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for war (1 of 2)

Word Origin for war

British Dictionary definitions for war (2 of 2)

Other Idioms and Phrases with war