irregular warfare

noun

Warfare in which one or more combatants are irregulars (such as partisans, guerrillas or insurgents) rather than regular military forces.

Opposite
conventional warfare
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Meanings

nounirregular warfare (uncountable)
  1. uncountableWarfare in which one or more combatants are irregulars (such as partisans, guerrillas or insurgents) rather than regular military forces.

    Studying the raid's effect on one community reveals how the different forms of irregular warfare — partisan warfare, guerrilla tactics, and cavalry raids — intertwined along the Ohio River border.

    2010, Stephen I. Rockenback, “The Spoliation of Defenseless Farmers and Villagers”, in U.S. Army and Irregular Warfare 1775-2007: Selected Papers, →ISBN
    1. uncountableWarfare with the aim of gaining or establishing political authority using asymmetric warfare tactics.

Synonyms & antonyms

Opposite
conventional warfare
Narrower
asymmetric warfareguerrilla warfare

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 非正規戰爭 /非正规战争
  • 非正規戰爭 /非正规战争warfare in which one or more combatants are irregulars
Finnish epäsäännöllinen sodankäynti
  • epäsäännöllinen sodankäyntiwarfare in which one or more combatants are irregulars
French guerre irrégulière
  • guerre irrégulièrewarfare in which one or more combatants are irregulars
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

Source: irregular warfare on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.