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
Synonyms
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
In space, a previous gentleman’s agreement on warfare no longer holds sway, while there is a constant fight for one-upmanship in the Arctic and in the race to dominate critical minerals.
—
Washington Examiner Staff, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 9 Jan. 2025
Last year, all that suddenly and dramatically changed; her halcyon routine perished in the flames of political warfare.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 9 Jan. 2025
Such attacks typically originate around military conflicts, where these signals are broadcast outwards and upwards to combat drone warfare.
—Eric Updyke, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
Strategically, this incident can be viewed as a component of hybrid warfare, where cyberattacks serve as a means to erode trust in governmental institutions while probing for systemic weaknesses in economic and security infrastructures.
—Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for warfare 
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Washington Examiner Staff, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 9 Jan. 2025
Last year, all that suddenly and dramatically changed; her halcyon routine perished in the flames of political warfare.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 9 Jan. 2025
Such attacks typically originate around military conflicts, where these signals are broadcast outwards and upwards to combat drone warfare.
—Eric Updyke, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
Strategically, this incident can be viewed as a component of hybrid warfare, where cyberattacks serve as a means to erode trust in governmental institutions while probing for systemic weaknesses in economic and security infrastructures.
—Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for warfare
Dictionary Entries Near warfare
Cite this Entry
“Warfare.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/warfare. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.
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warfare
noun
war·fare
ˈwȯr-ˌfa(ə)r 
-ˌfe(ə)r
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