war

Meanings

war¹

nounwar (countable and uncountable, plural wars)

plural wars · alternative obsolete warr · alternative obsolete warre

uncountableOrganized, large-scale, armed conflict between countries or between national, ethnic, or other sizeable groups, usually but not always involving active engagement of military forces.
War is merely the continuation of policy by other means; War is hell
5 more examples
Come on, let vs deale wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it come to passe that when there falleth out any warre, they ioyne also vnto our enemies, and fight against vs, and so get them vp out of the land.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Exodus 1:10
War is indeed a fearful thing and the more I see it the more dreadful it appears.
1854, Prince George, letter to his wife from Crimea
You cannot qualify war in harsher terms than I will. War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it; and those who brought war into our Country deserve all the curses and maledictions a people can pour out... You might as well appeal against the thunder-storm as against these terrible hardships of war.
1864 Sept. 12, William Tecumseh Sherman, letter to the mayor of Atlanta & al.
You don't know the horrible aspects of war. I've been through two wars and I know. I've seen cities and homes in ashes. I've seen thousands of men lying on the ground, their dead faces looking up at the skies. I tell you, war is hell!
1879 June 19, William Tecumseh Sherman, speech to the Michigan Military Academy
[…] on one of the Federal repulses from Marye's Hill, Lee put his hand upon Longstreet's arm and said, "It is well that war is so terrible, or we would grow too fond of it."
1907, Edward Porter Alexander, Military Memoirs of a Confederate, page 302
countableA particular conflict of this kind.
a war of succession... a war of attrition... the Cold War... World War III...
2 more examples
All human tribes glad token see In the close of the wars of Grant and Lee.
1865, Herman Melville, The Surrender at Appomattox
A second challenge will be to implement, with our allies, a plan of stability in the Balkans, so that the region's bitter ethnic problems can no longer be exploited by dictators and Americans do not have to cross the Atlantic again to fight in another war.
1999 Nov. 8, Bill Clinton, speech at Georgetown University
countableproscribedsometimesProtracted armed conflict against irregular forces, sometimes those considered terrorists.
the Great Emu War... the Global War on Terrorism...
2 more examples
Our war on terror begins with al Qaeda, but it does not end there. It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped and defeated.
2001 Sept. 20, George W. Bush, speech before Congress, White House Archives
...These wars are not going away. This is at least a generational struggle.
2021 Sept. 8, Seth G. Jones, quoted in Chris Moody, "Twenty Years after 9/11, Did US Win Its ‘War on Terror’?" Al-Jazeera
broadlycountableproscribedsometimesProtracted state or state-sponsored political violence against dissidents.
the Dirty War...
Any protracted conflict, particularly
1. USbroadlycountableuncountableA sustained campaign against a social problem, idea, set of values, etc.
  the War on Poverty... the War on Drugs... the War on Christmas...
  2 more examples
  The war against war is going to be no holiday excursion or camping party... Ask all our millions, north and south, whether they would vote now (were such a thing possible) to have our war for the Union expunged from history... and probably hardly a handful of eccentrics would say yes.
  1906, William James, The Moral Equivalent of War
  Trump’s lying is no less constant or blatant than in 2016, but by now it feels familiar, already priced in. What more is there to say about the “war on truth” a decade into Trump’s political career?
  2025 October 2, William Davies, “A critique of pure stupidity: understanding Trump 2.0”, in The Guardian
2. broadlycountableuncountablebusinessA protracted instance of fierce competition in trade.
  price wars... Cola Wars... format wars...
3. broadlycountableuncountableA protracted struggle between rival organizations for control of a particular institution.
  FISA–FOCA war...
4. broadlycountableuncountablecrimeA prolonged conflict between two groups of organized criminals, usually over organizational or territorial control.
  turf war... gang war... Castellammarese War...
5. InternetbroadlycountableuncountableAn argument between two or more people with opposing opinions on a topic or issue.
  flame war... edit war...
obsoleteuncountableAn assembly of weapons; instruments of war.
The God of Love himſelf inhabits there, With all his rage, and dread, and grief, and care, His complement of ſtores, and total war...
1709, Matthew Prior, “Henry and Emma. […]”, in The Poetical Works of Matthew Prior […], volume I, London: […] W[illiam] Strahan, […], published 1779, →OCLC, page 245
countableobsoleteuncountableArmed forces.
On thir imbattelld ranks the Waves return, And overwhelm thir Warr
1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC
uncountablecard gamesAny of a family of card games where all cards are dealt at the beginning of play and players attempt to capture them all, typically involving no skill and only serving to kill time.
We played crazy eights, war, fifty-two card pickup. Rudy flipped the whole deck across the table at me and the cards sailed to the floor, kings, queens, deuces.
2004, Karen Salyer McElmurray, Strange Birds in the Tree of Heaven

verbwar (third-person singular simple present wars, present participle warring, simple past and past participle warred)

present singular third person wars · participle present warring · participle past warred · past warred · alternative obsolete warr · alternative obsolete warre

intransitiveTo engage in conflict (may be followed by "with" to specify the foe).
...to war the Scot, and borders to defend...
1595, Samuel Daniel, The First Four Books of the Civil Wars
5 more examples
And they warred against the Midianites, as the Lord commanded Moses, and they slew all the males
1611, King James Bible, Book of Numbers, 31:7
Once more vnto the Breach, Deare friends, once more... Be Coppy now to men of groſſer blood, And teach them how to Warre.
1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i], page 77
This vein of reflection, warring with his inner knowledge that he had been driven by fear and hatred . . ., produced an exhausting whirl in his thoughts.
1882, George Bernard Shaw, chapter 14, in Cashel Byron's Profession
People keep on learning Soldiers keep on warring World keep on turning 'Cause it won't be too long
1973, Stevie Wonder, “Higher Ground”, in Innervisions
In a paradox, language wars against the world.
1979 April 28, Gerry McNamara, “Life for Art's Sake”, in Gay Community News, page 11
transitiveTo carry on, as a contest; to wage.
By God, that man does war honour.
1970, Waterloo, spoken by Arthur Wellesley
1 more example
[…], that thou by them mighteſt warre a good warfare,[…].
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Timothy 1:18, column 2

War²

proper noun

Preceded by the: designating a particularly notable war.
1. obsoleteWorld War I.
  Through much of the War, Hitler carried his painter's kit, did water colors of War-ruined buildings.
  1939 October 30, “Paintings by Adolf Hitler”, in Life, volume 7, number 18, New York, N.Y.: Time Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 52
2. UKinformalWorld War II.
The personification of war, often depicted in armour and riding a red horse; the red rider.
A city in West Virginia, United States.

WAR³

proper noun

abbreviationinitialismInitialism of White Aryan Resistance.
abbreviationinitialismJava programming languagecomputingInitialism of Web Application aRchive (a Java archive file).
abbreviationhistoricalinitialismgovernmentInitialism of Winchester Automatic Rifle.
abbreviationinitialismInitialism of Women Against Registry.

nounWAR (uncountable)

abbreviationinitialismuncountablecomputingInitialism of write after read, a kind of data hazard.
abbreviationacronymuncountablehobbiesAcronym of wins above replacement.

Synonyms & antonyms

Opposite

peace

Similar

fight go to warwage warwarray

nounthe waging of armed conflict against an enemy

Similar

warfare

Broader

military actionaction

nouna legal state created by a declaration of war and ended by official declaration during which the international rules of war apply

Similar

state of war

Opposite

peace

Broader

hostility enmity antagonism

nounan active struggle between competing entities

Similar

warfare

Broader

conflict struggle battle

verbmake or wage war

Opposite

make peace

Broader

contend fight struggle

Also see

hostility state of war warfare warfighting

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Proto-Indo-European*wers-
Proto-Germanic*werzaną
Proto-West Germanic*werʀan
Frankish*werʀ
Early Medieval Latinwerra
Old Northern Frenchguerre
Old Englishwerre
Middle Englishwerre
Englishwar

Inherited from Middle English werre, from Late Old English werre /wyrre (“armed conflict”), from Anglo-Norman and Old Northern French guerre /werre (compare modern French guerre), from Medieval Latin werra, from Frankish *werʀu (“confusion; quarrel”), from Proto-Indo-European *wers- (“to mix up, confuse, beat, thresh”). Gradually displaced native Old English beadu, hild, ġewinn, orleġe, wīġ, and many others as the general term for "war" during the Middle English period. Related to Old High German werra (“confusion, strife, quarrel”) and German verwirren (“to confuse”), but not to Wehr (“defense”). Also related to Old Saxon werran (“to confuse, perplex”), Dutch war (“confusion, disarray”), West Frisian war (“struggle, resistance, defense, effort, exertion, activity”), and Romance terms borrowed from Germanic, such as Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish guerra (“war”). Not likely related to worse or wurst.

More words from Middle English, Old English, Old Northern French

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans oorlog

oorlogconflict involving organized use of arms

Ancient Greek πόλεμος, πολεμέω

πόλεμος (pólemos)conflict involving organized use of arms
πολεμέω (poleméō)to engage in conflict

Arabic حَرْب, حرب

حَرْب (ḥarb)conflict involving organized use of arms
حرب (ḥarb)conflict involving organized use of arms
حرب (ḥarb)conflict involving organized use of arms
حَرْب (ḥarb)conflict involving organized use of arms
حَارَبَ (ḥāraba)to engage in conflict
شَنَّ حَرْبًا (šanna ḥarban)to engage in conflict

Basque gerra

gerraconflict involving organized use of arms

Bengali যুদ্ধ, জঙ্গ

যুদ্ধ (juddho)conflict involving organized use of arms
জঙ্গ (joṅgo)conflict involving organized use of arms

Bulgarian война́, вою́вам

война́ (vojná)conflict involving organized use of arms
вою́вам (vojúvam)to engage in conflict
во́дя война́ (vódja vojná)to engage in conflict

Catalan guerra, guerra

guerrarhetorical: campaign against something
guerraconflict involving organized use of arms
guerrejarto engage in conflict

Chinese җон, 戰爭 /战争

җон (žon)conflict involving organized use of arms
戰爭 /战争 (chiàn-chng, chiàn-cheng)conflict involving organized use of arms

Chinese Cantonese 戰爭 /战争

戰爭 /战争 (zin³ zang¹)conflict involving organized use of arms

Chinese Mandarin 鬥爭 /斗争, 挑戰 /挑战

鬥爭 /斗争 (dòuzhēng)rhetorical: campaign against something
挑戰 /挑战 (tiǎozhàn)rhetorical: campaign against something
戰爭 /战争 (zhànzhēng)conflict involving organized use of arms
仗 (zhàng)conflict involving organized use of arms
作戰 /作战 (zuòzhàn)to engage in conflict
交兵 (jiāobīng)to engage in conflict
開戰 /开战 (kāizhàn)to engage in conflict

Czech boj, válka

bojrhetorical: campaign against something
válkacard game
válkaconflict involving organized use of arms
vojnaconflict involving organized use of arms
bojconflict involving organized use of arms
vést válkuto engage in conflict

Danish krig, føre krig

krigconflict involving organized use of arms
føre krigto engage in conflict

Dutch oorlog, krijg

oorlogconflict involving organized use of arms
krijgconflict involving organized use of arms
oorlog voerento engage in conflict

Esperanto milito, militi

militoconflict involving organized use of arms
militito engage in conflict

Estonian sõda

sõdaconflict involving organized use of arms

Finnish sota, sota

sotarhetorical: campaign against something
sotabusiness competition
kinacard game
sotaconflict involving organized use of arms
sotiato engage in conflict

French bataille, guerre

bataillecard game
guerreconflict involving organized use of arms
entrer en guerreto engage in conflict
faire la guerreto engage in conflict

German Krieg, Krieg

Kriegcard game
Kriegconflict involving organized use of arms
Krieg führento engage in conflict
kriegento engage in conflict

Greek μάχη, αγώνας

μάχη (máchi)rhetorical: campaign against something
αγώνας (agónas)rhetorical: campaign against something
πόλεμος (pólemos)conflict involving organized use of arms

Hebrew מִלְחָמָה, נִלְחַם

מִלְחָמָה (milkhamá)conflict involving organized use of arms
נִלְחַם (nilkhám)to engage in conflict

Hindi युद्ध, जंग

युद्ध (yuddh)conflict involving organized use of arms
जंग (jaṅg)conflict involving organized use of arms
संग्राम (saṅgrām)conflict involving organized use of arms
लड़ाई (laṛāī)conflict involving organized use of arms
हर्ब (harb)conflict involving organized use of arms
समर (samar)conflict involving organized use of arms
रण (raṇ)conflict involving organized use of arms
लड़ाई करना (laṛāī karnā)to engage in conflict
युद्ध करना (yuddh karnā)to engage in conflict
जंग लड़ना (jaṅg laṛnā)to engage in conflict

Hungarian hadjárat, háború

hadjáratrhetorical: campaign against something
háborúconflict involving organized use of arms
háborúzikto engage in conflict

Icelandic stríð, styrjöld

stríðconflict involving organized use of arms
styrjöldconflict involving organized use of arms

Indonesian perang

perangconflict involving organized use of arms

Iranian Persian جَنْگ, مُحارِبِه

جَنْگ (jang)conflict involving organized use of arms
مُحارِبِه (mohârebe)conflict involving organized use of arms
پادْرَزْم (pâdrazm)conflict involving organized use of arms
حَرْب (harb)conflict involving organized use of arms

Irish cogadh

cogadhconflict involving organized use of arms

Italian guerra, guerra

guerrarhetorical: campaign against something
guerraconflict involving organized use of arms
fare la guerrato engage in conflict

Japanese 戦争, 戦

戦争 (sensō)conflict involving organized use of arms
戦 (ikusa)conflict involving organized use of arms
戦争する (sensō suru)to engage in conflict
戦争を遂行する (sensō o suikō suru)to engage in conflict

Korean 전쟁, 전쟁하다

전쟁 (jeonjaeng)conflict involving organized use of arms
전쟁하다 (jeonjaenghada)to engage in conflict
전쟁을 수행하다 (jeonjaeng-eul suhaenghada)to engage in conflict

Latin bellum, arma

bellumconflict involving organized use of arms
armaconflict involving organized use of arms
duellumconflict involving organized use of arms
werraconflict involving organized use of arms
guerraconflict involving organized use of arms
bellōto engage in conflict
belligeroto engage in conflict
bellorto engage in conflict
belligerōto engage in conflict

Latvian karš

karšconflict involving organized use of arms

Lithuanian karas, karionė

karasconflict involving organized use of arms
karionėconflict involving organized use of arms

Malay perang, perang

perangrhetorical: campaign against something
perangconflict involving organized use of arms
peperanganconflict involving organized use of arms
harabconflict involving organized use of arms

Māori whakataetae, pakanga

whakataetaebusiness competition
pakangaconflict involving organized use of arms
whawhaiconflict involving organized use of arms

Norwegian Bokmål krig, krig

krigcard game
krigconflict involving organized use of arms
føre krigto engage in conflict

Persian جنگیدن

جنگیدن (jangidan)to engage in conflict

Polish walka, wojna

walkarhetorical: campaign against something
wojnarhetorical: campaign against something
bójrhetorical: campaign against something
wojnacard game
wojnaconflict involving organized use of arms
wojowaćto engage in conflict
prowadzić wojnęto engage in conflict
walczyćto engage in conflict
Wojnapersonification of war

Portuguese guerra, guerra

guerrarhetorical: campaign against something
guerracard game
guerraconflict involving organized use of arms
guerrearto engage in conflict

Punjabi لڑائی, ਲੜਾਈ

لڑائی (lṛā'ī)conflict involving organized use of arms
ਲੜਾਈ (laṛāī)conflict involving organized use of arms
ਜੰਗ (jaṅg)conflict involving organized use of arms
ਲਾਮ (lām)conflict involving organized use of arms

Romanian război, război

războicard game
războiconflict involving organized use of arms
răzbelconflict involving organized use of arms
a duce războito engage in conflict

Russian война́, борьба́

война́ (vojná)rhetorical: campaign against something
борьба́ (borʹbá)rhetorical: campaign against something
война́ (vojná)conflict involving organized use of arms
воева́ть (vojevátʹ)to engage in conflict
вести́ войну́ (vestí vojnú)to engage in conflict

Scottish Gaelic cogadh

cogadhconflict involving organized use of arms

Slovak vojna, viesť vojnu

vojnaconflict involving organized use of arms
viesť vojnuto engage in conflict

Spanish guerra, guerra

guerrarhetorical: campaign against something
guerraconflict involving organized use of arms
guerreroconflict involving organized use of arms
bélicoconflict involving organized use of arms
belicosoconflict involving organized use of arms
pugnazconflict involving organized use of arms
guerrearto engage in conflict
hacer la guerrato engage in conflict

Swahili vita

vitaconflict involving organized use of arms

Swedish krig, föra krig

krigconflict involving organized use of arms
föra krigto engage in conflict

Tagalog giyera, gera

giyerarhetorical: campaign against something
geraconflict involving organized use of arms
giyeraconflict involving organized use of arms
digmaanconflict involving organized use of arms

Tamil போர், யுத்தம்

போர் (pōr)conflict involving organized use of arms
யுத்தம் (yuttam)conflict involving organized use of arms

Thai สงคราม

สงคราม (sǒng-kraam)conflict involving organized use of arms

Turkish savaş, muharebe

savaşconflict involving organized use of arms
muharebeconflict involving organized use of arms
harpconflict involving organized use of arms
cenkconflict involving organized use of arms
çelişmekto engage in conflict
çatışmakto engage in conflict

Ukrainian війна́, воюва́ти

війна́ (vijná)conflict involving organized use of arms
воюва́ти (vojuváty)to engage in conflict
вести́ війну́ (vestý vijnú)to engage in conflict

Urdu جَن٘گ, یُدھ

جَن٘گ (jaṅg)conflict involving organized use of arms
یُدھ (yudh)conflict involving organized use of arms
مُحارَبَہ (muhāraba)conflict involving organized use of arms
حَرْب (harb)conflict involving organized use of arms
جَن٘گ لَڑنا (jang laṛnā)to engage in conflict
جَن٘گ کَرْنا (jang karnā)to engage in conflict

Vietnamese chiến tranh

chiến tranhconflict involving organized use of arms

Welsh rhyfel, rhyfela

rhyfelconflict involving organized use of arms
rhyfelato engage in conflict

Yiddish מלחמה, קריג

מלחמה (milkhome)conflict involving organized use of arms
קריג (krig)conflict involving organized use of arms

Zulu impi

impiconflict involving organized use of arms

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with war

for or your more store before four sure tour mature therefore ensure floor outdoor core poor hardcore nor explore pure Moore horror pour ignore

All rhymes →

Sounds the same

worwore (horse–hoarse merger)waw (non-rhotic)worwore (horse–hoarse merger)waw (non-rhotic)

Anagrams

raw RWA

Cite this entry

APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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

Meanings

war¹

War²

WAR³

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About

war

Meanings

war1

War2

WAR3

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Built from war

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war¹

War²

WAR³