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
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.
Phew, no world war, and lucky McGee got to wear a comfy hoodie in the office for the crisis. Sara Netzley, EW.com, 5 Nov. 2024 Because, choosing between some promises and the possibility of starting a third world war—the choice is still quite obvious. Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 2 Nov. 2024 Aerospace took a world war and almost 40 years to become a significant industry. Jon Younger, Forbes, 20 Sep. 2024 Katie Hafner: For women in the U.K. between the two world wars, studying chemistry was especially hard. Katie Hafner, Scientific American, 24 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for world war 

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 21 Nov. 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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