warlord

noun

war·​lord ˈwȯr-ˌlȯrd How to pronounce warlord (audio)
1
: a supreme military leader
2
: a military commander exercising civil power by force usually in a limited area
warlordism noun

Examples of warlord in a Sentence

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.
But what effect would such sanctions have on a warlord who doesn’t engage with the U.S. economy? Elizabeth Shackelford, The Mercury News, 4 Jan. 2025 Others were kidnapped off the streets in China and taken by gunpoint to enclaves run by ethnic warlords and Chinese crime gangs, survivors said. Hannah Beech, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2024 That's the same South Africa that once hosted a Sudanese dictator after the ICC issued warrants for his arrest on crimes against humanity and genocide and then, last year, also hosted a Sudanese warlord accused of crimes against humanity. Matt Robison, Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2024 The country has become a magnet for warlords, arms dealers, human traffickers, poachers, drug syndicates and generals wanted by international courts. Natasha Frost, New York Times, 1 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for warlord 

Word History

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of warlord was in 1856

Dictionary Entries Near warlord

Cite this Entry

“Warlord.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/warlord. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

warlord

noun
1
: an important military leader
2
: a military leader who governs an area by force

More from Merriam-Webster on warlord

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