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
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 Time for Action Is Now Every new era of warfare demands institutional reinvention.
—
Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
Defense stocks have typically been excluded from portfolios based on environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors due to ethical concerns over the sector’s association with warfare.
—Sam Meredith, CNBC, 2 Apr. 2025
Sowing confusion about its capabilities might also be effective information warfare on China’s part.
—Jill Goldenziel, Forbes.com, 1 Apr. 2025
Cognitive warfare encompasses operations that affect the way conflict is perceived.
—Michael Miklaucic, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for warfare
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Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
Defense stocks have typically been excluded from portfolios based on environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors due to ethical concerns over the sector’s association with warfare.
—Sam Meredith, CNBC, 2 Apr. 2025
Sowing confusion about its capabilities might also be effective information warfare on China’s part.
—Jill Goldenziel, Forbes.com, 1 Apr. 2025
Cognitive warfare encompasses operations that affect the way conflict is perceived.
—Michael Miklaucic, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for warfare
Cite this Entry
“Warfare.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/warfare. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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warfare
noun
war·fare
ˈwȯr-ˌfa(ə)r 
-ˌfe(ə)r
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