world war
noun
: a war engaged in by all or most of the principal nations of the world
especially,
World War
: either of two such wars of the first half of the 20th century
Examples of world war in a Sentence
He fought in both World Wars.
The nations were prepared for world war.
Recent Examples on the Web
The act had been invoked three times over the past two centuries – during the War of 1812, and during the two world wars.
—
Henry Gass, Christian Science Monitor, 11 Apr. 2025
Yet after two world wars and decades of political and economic decline, London watched as sterling’s global status ebbed away.
—Edward Fishman, Foreign Affairs, 8 Apr. 2025
Trump, who has made promises to end the three-year war, has warned of the risks of it escalating into a world war between the United States and Russia.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 8 Apr. 2025
The law crafted during the presidency of John Adams had been used just three times: during the War of 1812 and the two world wars.
—Tim Sullivan, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for world war
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Henry Gass, Christian Science Monitor, 11 Apr. 2025
Yet after two world wars and decades of political and economic decline, London watched as sterling’s global status ebbed away.
—Edward Fishman, Foreign Affairs, 8 Apr. 2025
Trump, who has made promises to end the three-year war, has warned of the risks of it escalating into a world war between the United States and Russia.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 8 Apr. 2025
The law crafted during the presidency of John Adams had been used just three times: during the War of 1812 and the two world wars.
—Tim Sullivan, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for world war
Cite this Entry
“World war.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/world%20war. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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