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
Russia’s war on Ukraine Russia, in their war against Ukraine, has been manipulating information and spreading disinformation online as a means of information warfare, including by the use of AI and deepfake.
—
Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
In Wednesday’s attack, according to Moscow, Russian air defenses shot down two of the missiles, while electronic warfare equipment deflected the others.
—Sophie Tanno, CNN, 11 Dec. 2024
The war in Ukraine has been a crucible for the lightning-pace development of new technology, not least drones and electronic warfare.
—Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
His apparent ouster would bring to a close nearly 25 years of his tight-grip rule, liberate Syria from a family dynasty that has brutally controlled Syria for double that time and inject fresh turmoil into a Middle East region already spilling over with warfare and political uncertainty.
—Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 8 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for warfare 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
In Wednesday’s attack, according to Moscow, Russian air defenses shot down two of the missiles, while electronic warfare equipment deflected the others.
—Sophie Tanno, CNN, 11 Dec. 2024
The war in Ukraine has been a crucible for the lightning-pace development of new technology, not least drones and electronic warfare.
—Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
His apparent ouster would bring to a close nearly 25 years of his tight-grip rule, liberate Syria from a family dynasty that has brutally controlled Syria for double that time and inject fresh turmoil into a Middle East region already spilling over with warfare and political uncertainty.
—Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 8 Dec. 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 18 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
warfare
noun
war·fare
ˈwȯr-ˌfa(ə)r 
-ˌfe(ə)r
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share