wartime

noun

war·​time ˈwȯr-ˌtīm How to pronounce wartime (audio)
often attributive
: a period during which a war is in progress
rationing during wartime

Examples of wartime in a Sentence

Many goods were rationed during wartime.
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.
The Venezuelans, all of whom had been accused of belonging to a different gang called Tren de Aragua, were being deported under the expansive powers of an 18th-century wartime law known as the Alien Enemies Act. — Alan Feuer, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025 The group of conservatives, along with the State Democracy Defenders Fund, filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court to oppose the Trump administration’s use of the 18th-century wartime law. — Lauren Irwin, The Hill, 1 Apr. 2025 Boasberg has called on the administration to stop deporting Venezuelans as part of Trump's executive order that invoked the Alien Enemies Act, a wartime authority used to deport noncitizens with little to no due process, as a lawsuit plays out. — Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 25 Mar. 2025 Driving the news: In a Monday opinion, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg took aim at the Trump administration for invoking an 18th-century wartime law to justify the deportations. — Ivana Saric, Axios, 24 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for wartime

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wartime was in the 14th century

Rhymes for wartime

See All Rhymes for wartime

Browse Nearby Words

warthog
wartime
wartlike
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wartime.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wartime. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.

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Kids Definition

wartime

noun
war·​time ˈwȯ(ə)r-ˌtīm How to pronounce wartime (audio)
: a period when a war is going on

More from Merriam-Webster on wartime

Nglish: Translation of wartime for Spanish Speakers

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