1
: military operations between enemies : hostilities, war
also
: an activity undertaken by a political unit (such as a nation) to weaken or destroy another
economic warfare
2
: struggle between competing entities : conflict
see also biological warfare, chemical warfare, cyber warfare, germ warfare, trench warfare
Examples of warfare in a Sentence
that troubled household seems to be almost constantly in a state of warfare
companies engaged in constant warfare for dominance in the market for smart phones and tablets
Recent Examples on the Web
Russia is very adept at what is known as hybrid warfare, a term that broadly refers to tactics designed to undermine or destabilize opponents, but falling short of open conflict.
—
Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
So ingrained is the fixation with speed that generations of U.S. military commanders have learned to shudder at the mention of attritional warfare, embracing decisive maneuver as the route to quick victories.
—Lawrence D. Freedman, Foreign Affairs, 14 Apr. 2025
But beneath the Dark Ages warrior exterior is an keen grasp of a new type of warfare.
—David Hambling, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
It's often said that throughout the history of warfare, whoever has the superior weapons wins.
—ArsTechnica, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for warfare
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Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
So ingrained is the fixation with speed that generations of U.S. military commanders have learned to shudder at the mention of attritional warfare, embracing decisive maneuver as the route to quick victories.
—Lawrence D. Freedman, Foreign Affairs, 14 Apr. 2025
But beneath the Dark Ages warrior exterior is an keen grasp of a new type of warfare.
—David Hambling, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
It's often said that throughout the history of warfare, whoever has the superior weapons wins.
—ArsTechnica, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for warfare
Cite this Entry
“Warfare.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/warfare. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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warfare
noun
war·fare
ˈwȯr-ˌfa(ə)r 
-ˌfe(ə)r
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