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.
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 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 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

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