war lord

A form of warlord — A military commander or bandit leader wielding civilian power in an area where the government is weak.

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Meanings

nounwar lord (plural war lords)

plural war lords

  1. alternativeAlternative form of warlord.

    On February 16, 1927, Chiang met the northern forces in open battle before Hangchow, and inflicted a smashing defeat. The middle-Yangtse war-lord fled north.

    1938, Robert H. Berkov, Strong Man of China: The Story of Chiang Kai-shek, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, page 59
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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