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
Considered an unsung hero of modern warfare, Selanee saved the lives of two U.S. journalists and shielded hundreds of Afghans stranded at Kandahar Air Base.
—
Max Goldbart, Deadline, 28 Feb. 2025
What To Know There have been tensions over NATO accusing Russia of sabotaging vessels in the Baltic Sea and claims of hybrid warfare around what is dubbed the NATO Lake as the alliance's members move to combat Moscow's belligerence in the region.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025
The narrative in Zero Day blurs the line between victim and perpetrator, forcing viewers to confront the uncomfortable reality that in an age of information warfare, the fabric of society can be weaponized and the pursuit of truth becomes a morally ambiguous challenge.
—Ally Neagen, Glamour, 27 Feb. 2025
The United States has already learned a great deal about the future of warfare from Ukraine.
—Thomas Wright, Foreign Affairs, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for warfare
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Cite this Entry
“Warfare.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/warfare. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.
Kids Definition
warfare
noun
war·fare
ˈwȯr-ˌfa(ə)r 
-ˌfe(ə)r
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