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 origins of art therapy go back to attempts to treat soldiers struggling with post-traumatic stress during the 20th century’s two world wars. Girija Kaimal, The Conversation, 20 June 2024 William Harley and Arthur Davidson developed their first motor bicycle to navigate Milwaukee's hills in the early 1900s, and their company survived two world wars and a Great Depression and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2003. Jr Radcliffe, Journal Sentinel, 13 June 2024 This step is painful but necessary and brings to mind the drafts instituted by many Western nations throughout both world wars. Andriy Zagorodnyuk, Foreign Affairs, 21 May 2024 In the 20th century, such insularity gripped the country before each of the two world wars, when Americans were loath to get involved in what many saw as the Old World’s interminable conflicts. Jon Sebastian Shifrin, Baltimore Sun, 26 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for world war 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'world war.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of world war was in 1848

Dictionary Entries Near world war

Cite this Entry

“World war.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/world%20war. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.

Kids Definition

world war

noun
: a war involving all or most of the chief nations of the world
especially, capitalized both Ws : either of two such wars of the 20th century

More from Merriam-Webster on world war

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