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
Synonyms
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
This is a talky chamber piece of philosophical face-offs, debate duels and wordy warfare, though the outcomes remain just as harrowing.
—
Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 7 Nov. 2024
The war’s vast front lines could become a sort of laboratory for modern warfare, giving Kim’s troops — and their generals — a chance to study.
—Matthew Bodner, NBC News, 30 Oct. 2024
Everything changed when fighting tore through the capital in April 2023, after a power struggle between Sudan’s two top generals exploded into open warfare.
—Ryan Lenora Brown, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 Oct. 2024
This sub-franchise is far less focused on all-out warfare and more interested in espionage, honing in on conspiracy-laden takes on history and fictional shadowy operations carried out by the government.
—Cade Onder, Rolling Stone, 25 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for warfare 
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Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 7 Nov. 2024
The war’s vast front lines could become a sort of laboratory for modern warfare, giving Kim’s troops — and their generals — a chance to study.
—Matthew Bodner, NBC News, 30 Oct. 2024
Everything changed when fighting tore through the capital in April 2023, after a power struggle between Sudan’s two top generals exploded into open warfare.
—Ryan Lenora Brown, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 Oct. 2024
This sub-franchise is far less focused on all-out warfare and more interested in espionage, honing in on conspiracy-laden takes on history and fictional shadowy operations carried out by the government.
—Cade Onder, Rolling Stone, 25 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for warfare
Dictionary Entries Near warfare
Cite this Entry
“Warfare.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/warfare. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.
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warfare
noun
war·fare
ˈwȯr-ˌfa(ə)r 
-ˌfe(ə)r
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