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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
Jacket by Issey Miyake, Pants and gloves by Yori, Tank Top by Calvin Klein, Hat by Kapital
The internet music landscape is a cyclone of constant clickbait nowadays, where people treat every micro-beef like a world war and make jokes out of serious issues.
—
Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 12 Feb. 2025
Tariffs leading up to Trump The U.S. reversed course after realizing how tariffs can fuel foreign policy issues and contribute to world wars, said Scott Lincicome, vice president of general economics at the Stiefel Trade Policy Center of the CATO Institute.
—
Greg Iacurci,ana Teresa Solá, CNBC, 5 Feb. 2025
Conflicts pushing us closer, perhaps, to a world war.
—
George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 31 Dec. 2024
In 1945: By an overwhelming vote, the U.S. Senate approved of America joining the United Nations, which was founded just over a month prior as a replacement of the League of Nations – created after World War I – to help prevent a third world war after the end of WWII.
—
Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 6 Dec. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1848, in the meaning defined above
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 19 Feb. 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
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for world war
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