world war

American  

noun

1. a war that involves most of the principal nations of the world.

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Etymology

Origin of world war

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

In November 2024, Koguan said he was “no longer all-in-Tesla” and began acquiring Treasury bills, citing his fear of a “1929 type stock market crash” and a potential third world war.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 4, 2026

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that the current conflict in his country could escalate into a world war.

From BBC • Dec. 28, 2025

As he put it, “the war is now moving to a new stage: what we in the military call ‘positional’ warfare of static and attritional fighting, as in the first world war.

From Slate • Mar. 19, 2025

“STRS has survived a world war, a major depression, a major recession and a worldwide pandemic, and still paid benefits,” said Hutras, a Democrat.

From Seattle Times • May 24, 2024

He was already thinking about the role America’s scientists might play in the world war lurking on the horizon.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik