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.
The collapse of the Soviet Union greatly reduced the West’s fear of another world war—a fear that had led Western leaders to tolerate Soviet spheres of influence in central and eastern Europe. Monica Duffy Toft, Foreign Affairs, 13 Mar. 2025 Americans broadly understood how much their 1930 tariff, along with other protectionist and isolationist measures, did to turn a global economic crisis into another world war. Bret Stephens, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2025 Trump contended during the meeting that Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, is not looking for world war. Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 28 Feb. 2025 Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance accused Zelenskyy of playing with millions of lives and gambling with the possibility of world war. Katya Soldak, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“World war.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/world%20war. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.

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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