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
The movie featured a starry cast — Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Tom Sizemore, Orlando Bloom, and many more — in a gritty, chaotic portrait of urban warfare that impressed audiences and critics alike.
—
Randall Colburn, EW.com, 12 Feb. 2025
For several years, Space Force commanders and Pentagon officials have touted the importance of in-space mobility, or dynamic space operations, in a new era of orbital warfare.
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 7 Feb. 2025
How rare are attacks like these? School shootings are rare, but Sweden – long associated with high living standards and a strong social safety net – has seen a surge in violent crime in recent years, driven in part by gang warfare.
—Henrik Pettersson, CNN, 5 Feb. 2025
This allows drones and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets to enter electromagnetic warfare (EW) environments that are being occupied by multiple forces.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 14 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for warfare 
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Randall Colburn, EW.com, 12 Feb. 2025
For several years, Space Force commanders and Pentagon officials have touted the importance of in-space mobility, or dynamic space operations, in a new era of orbital warfare.
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 7 Feb. 2025
How rare are attacks like these? School shootings are rare, but Sweden – long associated with high living standards and a strong social safety net – has seen a surge in violent crime in recent years, driven in part by gang warfare.
—Henrik Pettersson, CNN, 5 Feb. 2025
This allows drones and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets to enter electromagnetic warfare (EW) environments that are being occupied by multiple forces.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 14 Feb. 2025
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 21 Feb. 2025.
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warfare
noun
war·fare
ˈwȯr-ˌfa(ə)r 
-ˌfe(ə)r
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