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
Then, the man transforms into a violent, flesh-eating zombie, and all hell — with a side of George Romero-style class warfare — breaks loose.
—
Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Oct. 2025
The Ford, which carries four squadrons of F/A-18 attack fighter jets and electronic warfare aircraft, is capable of a significant aerial bombing campaign.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
Fueled by Cold War rivalry and boundless optimism, engineers and scientists reimagined everything (from cars and planes to construction and warfare) through the lens of nuclear power.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2025
The Gravely’s presence accompanies the USS Ford carrier strike group, which was deployed to the Caribbean last week carrying fighter jets, electronic warfare aircraft, and surveillance planes.
—Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for warfare
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Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Oct. 2025
The Ford, which carries four squadrons of F/A-18 attack fighter jets and electronic warfare aircraft, is capable of a significant aerial bombing campaign.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
Fueled by Cold War rivalry and boundless optimism, engineers and scientists reimagined everything (from cars and planes to construction and warfare) through the lens of nuclear power.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2025
The Gravely’s presence accompanies the USS Ford carrier strike group, which was deployed to the Caribbean last week carrying fighter jets, electronic warfare aircraft, and surveillance planes.
—Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 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 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
warfare
noun
war·fare
ˈwȯr-ˌfa(ə)r 
-ˌfe(ə)r
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