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
The film delves into the fragility of the human mind, the dangers of AI warfare, and the indomitable spirit required to confront terror in an increasingly digital world.
—
Zac Ntim, Deadline, 11 Feb. 2026
This is information warfare on the cheap.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
The war in Ukraine will enter its fifth year later this month, a consequence of stiff Ukrainian military resistance, poor Russian decision-making, the emergence of drone warfare and the combatants’ inability to agree on how to settle it.
—Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
Potential payloads include lightweight anti-submarine torpedoes, electronic warfare equipment, acoustic decoys designed to mimic other vessels, and deployable sensor packages for intelligence collection.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for warfare
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Zac Ntim, Deadline, 11 Feb. 2026
This is information warfare on the cheap.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
The war in Ukraine will enter its fifth year later this month, a consequence of stiff Ukrainian military resistance, poor Russian decision-making, the emergence of drone warfare and the combatants’ inability to agree on how to settle it.
—Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
Potential payloads include lightweight anti-submarine torpedoes, electronic warfare equipment, acoustic decoys designed to mimic other vessels, and deployable sensor packages for intelligence collection.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for warfare
Cite this Entry
“Warfare.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/warfare. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
warfare
noun
war·fare
ˈwȯr-ˌfa(ə)r 
-ˌfe(ə)r
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