preventive war

noun

War started by one of the parties without having received any attack from the other party. This type of war is initiated by states unable to use diplomacy

“The German war against Poland initiated by Hitler was justified as a preventive war by Carl Schmitt, German jurist and philosopher.”

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Meanings

nounpreventive war (plural preventive wars)

plural preventive wars

  1. War started by one of the parties without having received any attack from the other party. This type of war is initiated by states unable to use diplomacy

    The German war against Poland initiated by Hitler was justified as a preventive war by Carl Schmitt, German jurist and philosopher.

    1 more example

    We do not believe in aggressive or preventive war. Such war is the weapon of dictators, not of free democratic countries like the United States.

    1950 September 1, Harry S. Truman, 4:15 from the start, in MP72-73 Korea and World Peace: President Truman Reports to the People, Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives Identifier: 595162

Translations

Finnish ennaltaehkäisevä sota
  • ennaltaehkäisevä sotatype of war
Swedish preventivkrig
  • preventivkrigtype of war
Ukrainian превенти́вна війна́
  • превенти́вна війна́ (preventývna vijná)type of war
Cite this entry
APA

preventive war. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/preventive%20war

MLA

“preventive war.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/preventive%20war. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “preventive war,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/preventive%20war.

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