war
wars; warring; warred
War is armed combat between two or more countries or between different groups of people within the same country. As the soul singer Edwin Starr asked, "War! Huh! What is it good for?" Absolutely nothing.
The term "civil war" means not that the war is courteous and polite, but that it is between citizens of the same nation or community, as in the American Civil War. Often war refers to nonmilitary combat or tension, such as between angry neighbors, or rival sports teams, or between different social classes — as in "class war," or government policies such as the "war on drugs."
Definitions of war
-
the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
-
synonyms:
warfare
-
examples:
- show 29 examples...
- hide 29 examples...
-
Chino-Japanese War
a war between China and Japan (1894 and 1895) over the control of the Korean Peninsula; China was overwhelmingly defeated at Port Arthur
-
Macedonian War
one the four wars between Macedonia and Rome in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC, which ended in the defeat of Macedonia and its annexation as a Roman province
-
Arab-Israeli War
tension between Arabs and Israeli erupted into a brief war in June 1967; Israel emerged as a major power in the Middle East
-
Arab-Israeli War
Egypt and Syria attacked Israel in October 1973 (on Yom Kippur); Israel counterattacked and drove the Syrians back and crossed the Suez Canal into Egypt
-
Balkan Wars
two wars (1912-1913) that were fought over the last of the European territories of the Ottoman Empire and that left the area around Constantinople (now Istanbul) as the only Ottoman territory in Europe
-
Boer War
either of two wars: the first when the Boers fought England in order to regain the independence they had given up to obtain British help against the Zulus (1880-1881); the second when the Orange Free State and Transvaal declared war on Britain (1899-1902)
-
Crimean War
a war in Crimea between Russia and a group of nations including England and France and Turkey and Sardinia; 1853-1856
-
Franco-Prussian War
a war between France and Prussia that ended the Second Empire in France and led to the founding of modern Germany; 1870-1871
-
French and Indian War
a war in North America between France and Britain (both aided by American Indian tribes); 1755-1760
-
Hundred Years' War
the series of wars fought intermittently between France and England; 1337-1453
-
Iran-Iraq War
a dispute over control of the waterway between Iraq and Iran broke out into open fighting in 1980 and continued until 1988, when they accepted a UN cease-fire resolution
-
Korean War
a war between North and South Korea; South Korea was aided by the United States and other members of the United Nations; 1950-1953
-
Mexican War
after disputes over Texas lands that were settled by Mexicans the United States declared war on Mexico in 1846 and by treaty in 1848 took Texas and California and Arizona and New Mexico and Nevada and Utah and part of Colorado and paid Mexico $15,000,000
-
Napoleonic Wars
a series of wars fought between France (led by Napoleon Bonaparte) and alliances involving England and Prussia and Russia and Austria at different times; 1799-1815
-
Peloponnesian War
a war in which Athens and its allies were defeated by the league centered on Sparta; 431-404 BC
-
Persian Gulf War
a war fought between Iraq and a coalition led by the United States that freed Kuwait from Iraqi invaders; 1990-1991
-
Punic War
one of the three wars between Carthage and Rome that resulted in the destruction of Carthage and its annexation by Rome; 264-241 BC, 218-201 BC, 149-146 BC
-
Russo-Japanese War
Japanese victory in the war with Russia (1904-1905) gave Japan power over Korea and Manchuria
-
Seven Years' War
a war of England and Prussia against France and Austria (1756-1763); Britain and Prussia got the better of it
-
Spanish-American War
a war between the United States and Spain in 1898
-
Thirty Years' War
a series of conflicts (1618-1648) between Protestants and Catholics starting in Germany and spreading until France and Denmark and Sweden were opposing the Holy Roman Empire and Spain
-
Trojan War
(Greek mythology) a great war fought between Greece and Troy; the Greeks sailed to Troy to recover Helen of Troy, the beautiful wife of Menelaus who had been abducted by Paris; after ten years the Greeks (via the Trojan Horse) achieved final victory and burned Troy to the ground
-
Vietnam War
a prolonged war (1954-1975) between the communist armies of North Vietnam who were supported by the Chinese and the armies of South Vietnam who were supported by the United States
-
War of Greek Independence
the Greeks rebelled against Turkish rule in 1821; with the support of England and France and Russia they won independence in 1828 at Navarino (although the country included only half its present size)
-
War of the Austrian Succession
Prussia and Austria fought over Silesia and most of the rest of Europe took sides; 1740-1748
-
War of the League of Augsburg
an aggressive war waged by Louis XIV against Spain and the Holy Roman Empire and England and Holland and other states (1689-1697)
-
War of the Spanish Succession
a general war in Europe (1701-1714) that broke out when Louis XIV installed his grandson on the throne of Spain; England and Holland hoped to limit Louis' power
-
Wars of the Roses
struggle for the English throne (1455-1485) between the house of York (white rose) and the house of Lancaster (red rose) ending with the accession of the Tudor monarch Henry VII
-
War of 1812
a war (1812-1814) between the United States and England which was trying to interfere with American trade with France
-
types:
- show 11 types...
- hide 11 types...
-
limited war
a war whose objective is less than the unconditional defeat of the enemy
-
psychological warfare, war of nerves
the use of psychological tactics to destroy the opponents' morale
-
civil war
a war between factions in the same country
-
chemical operations, chemical warfare
warfare using chemical agents to kill or injure or incapacitate the enemy
-
BW, bioattack, biologic attack, biological attack, biological warfare
the use of bacteria or viruses or toxins to destroy men and animals or food
-
IW, information warfare
the use of information or information technology during a time of crisis or conflict to achieve or promote specific objectives over a specific adversary or adversaries
-
international jihad, jehad, jihad
a holy war waged by Muslims against infidels
-
world war
a war in which the major nations of the world are involved
-
hot war
actual fighting between the warring parties
-
total war
military conflict with no restrictions on targets, weapons, or use of military or civilian resources
-
bacteriological warfare, germ warfare
the use of harmful bacteria as a weapon
-
type of:
-
action, military action
a military engagement
-
a legal state created by a declaration of war and ended by official declaration during which the international rules of war apply“war was declared in November but actual fighting did not begin until the following spring”
-
synonyms:
state of war
-
Antonyms:
-
peace
the state prevailing during the absence of war
-
types:
-
proxy war
a war instigated by a major power that does not itself participate
-
type of:
-
antagonism, enmity, hostility
a state of deep-seated ill-will
-
peace
-
an active struggle between competing entities“a price war”“a war of wits”
-
synonyms:
warfare
-
types:
-
drug war
conflict between law enforcement and those who deal in illegal drugs
-
trench warfare
a struggle (usually prolonged) between competing entities in which neither side is able to win
-
drug war
-
a concerted campaign to end something that is injurious
-
make or wage war
-
Antonyms:
-
make peace
end hostilities
-
types:
-
blitzkrieg
fight a quick and surprising war
-
go to war, take arms, take up arms
commence hostilities
-
make peace
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘war'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
Send us feedback
Word Family
EDITOR'S CHOICE
Look up war for the last time
Close your vocabulary gaps with personalized learning that focuses on teaching the words you need to know.
