hybrid war

noun

A war that comprises the use of conventional and nonconventional means (disinformation campaigns, cyberattacks, etc.) by at least one side, which officially denies involvement.

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Meanings

nounhybrid war (plural hybrid wars)

plural hybrid wars

  1. governmentA war that comprises the use of conventional and nonconventional means (disinformation campaigns, cyberattacks, etc.) by at least one side, which officially denies involvement.

    “Russia has been conducting an undeclared and hybrid war against the West for a very long time,” the Czech foreign minister, Jan Lipavsky, told a European security conference hosted by the International Institute of Strategic Studies this month in Prague.

    2025 September 13, Lara Jakes, quoting Jan Lipavsky, “As Sabotage in Europe Mounts, So Do Calls to Retaliate Against Russia”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC

Origin

Neologism derived from hybrid warfare; usage increased during the 2014-present Russo-Ukrainian War.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 混合戰 /混合战
  • 混合戰 /混合战 (hùnhézhàn)war
Dutch hybride oorlog
  • hybride oorlogwar
Finnish hybridisota
  • hybridisotawar
German hybrider Krieg
  • hybrider Kriegwar
Russian гибри́дная война́
  • гибри́дная война́ (gibrídnaja vojná)war
Swedish hybridkrig
  • hybridkrigwar
Ukrainian гібри́дна війна́
  • гібри́дна війна́ (hibrýdna vijná)war
Cite this entry
APA

hybrid war. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hybrid%20war

MLA

“hybrid war.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hybrid%20war. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hybrid war,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hybrid%20war.

Source: hybrid war on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.