war

war (wôr)

a. A state of open, armed, often prolonged conflict carried on between nations, states, or parties.

b. The period of such conflict.

c. The techniques and procedures of war; military science.

a. A condition of active antagonism or contention: a war of words; a price war.

b. A concerted effort or campaign to combat or put an end to something considered injurious: the war against acid rain.

intr.v. warred, war·ring, wars

1. To wage or carry on warfare.

2. To be in a state of hostility or rivalry; contend.

Idiom:

at war

In an active state of conflict or contention.

[Middle English warre, from Old North French werre, of Germanic origin; see wers- in Indo-European roots.]

Word History: The chaos of war is reflected in the semantic history of the word war. War can be traced back to the Indo-European root *wers-, "to confuse, mix up." In the Germanic family of the Indo-European languages, this root gave rise to several words having to do with confusion or mixture of various kinds. One was the noun *werza-, "confusion," which in a later form *werra- was borrowed into Old French, probably from Frankish, a largely unrecorded Germanic language that contributed about 200 words to the vocabulary of Old French. From the Germanic stem came both the form werre in Old North French, the form borrowed into English in the 12th century, and guerre (the source of guerrilla) in the rest of the Old French-speaking area. Both forms meant "war." Meanwhile another form derived from the same Indo-European root had developed into a word denoting a more benign kind of mixture, Old High German wurst, meaning "sausage." Modern German Wurst was borrowed into English in the 19th century, first by itself (recorded in 1855) and then as part of the word liverwurst (1869), the liver being a translation of German Leber in Leberwurst.

war

Noun

1. open armed conflict between two or more countries or groups: this international situation led to war

2. a particular armed conflict: the American war in Vietnam

3. any conflict or contest: a trade war

4. have been in the wars Informal to look as if one has been in a fight

Adjective

relating to war or a war: the war effort, a war correspondent

Verb

[warring, warred]

to conduct a war [Old Northern French werre]

warring adj

War

See also conflict; killing; weaponry.

angary

the right of a nation at war to destroy the property of a neutral, subject to indemnification.

antiterrorism

the techniques, policies, and training of special police who deal with terrorists, especially those who take hostages. — antiterrorist, adj.

armistice

a temporary cessation of hostilities, by agreement between the belligerents, prior to the negotiation or signing of a peace treaty.

bellicism

the advocacy of war. Cf. pacifism. — bellicist, n.

belligerence

the state of being hostile or at war. — belligerent, n., adj.

copperheadism

any expression of sympathy for the Confederate cause in the American Civil War. — copperhead, n.

demilitarization

the process of demilitarization or removal of military activity or control from an area.

demobilization

the process of being demobilized or mustered out of the military.

disarmament

the reduction in size of military forces, by treaty, following defeat, etc. Also Obsolete, disarmature.

disarmature

Obsolete. disarmament.

doveism, dovism

the advocacy of peace or a conciliatory national attitude, especially on the part of a public official. Cf. hawkism. — dove, n. — doveish, adj.

gigantomachy

1. a war between giants, as in mythology.
2. war between large contestants, as major powers.

guerrillaism

the practice and philosophy of guerrilla warfare.

hawkism

the advocacy of war or a belligerent national attitude, especially on the part of a public official. Cf. doveism. — hawk, n. — hawkish, adj.

hostility

1. a feeling or state of antagonism.
2. an expression or act of war. — hostile, adj.

insurgency, insurgence

1. the state or condition of being in revolt or insurrection.
2. an uprising. — insurgent, n., adj.

irenicism

an advocacy of peace and conciliation. — irenicist, n.

logistics

the branch of military science concerned with the movement and supply of troops. — logistician, n.

martialism

1. an inclination to belligerency; bellicosity.
2. the qualities of a military existence. — martialist, n.

militancy

1. the state or condition of being combative or disposed to fight.
2. the active championing of a cause or belief. — militant, n., adj.

militarization

the process of preparing for war; mobilization of troops or of an area.

monomachy, monomachia

single combat, or a duel. — monomachist, n.

naumachia, naumachy

1. a mock sea fight, as in ancient Rome.
2. the flooded arena where such fights were conducted.

navalism

the maintaining of naval interests. — navalist, n.

neutrality

the state or position of being impartial or not allied with or committed to either party or viewpoint in a conflict, especially a war or armed conflict, — neutral, adj.

pacifism

1. an opposition to war or violence of any kind.
2. the principle or policy of establishing and maintaining universal peace.
3. nonresistance to aggression. Cf. bellicism. — pacifist, n. — pacifistic, adj.

pillage

1. the act of plundering or large scale robbery, usually accompanied by violence as in wartime.
2. plundered property; booty.

poliorcetics

the art of siegecraft. — poliorcetic, adj.

sabotage

destruction of or damage to equipment, installations, etc, in an industrial context, as in a labor dispute, or in a military context, as in the action of partisan or resistance movements. — saboteur, n.

siegecraft

the science or craft of laying or carrying out sieges.

soldiery

soldiership or military science or craft.

spoliation

the process of robbing or plundering, especially in time of war and on a large scale. See also church; ships.

stratography

the art of directing an army. — stratographer, n.

tactician

a person skilled in the art of tactics, in a military or other sense.

tactics

1. the art or science of disposing or managing military forces to best advantage against the enemy.
2. a skill or resource management in other contexts.

Titanomachy

battle between Titans, referring to the unsuccessful revolt of the family of Iapetus against Zeus.

trierarchy

an ancient Athenian policy allowing private citizens, as part of their civic duty, to fit out triremes for the defense of the city.

warcraft

the science, art, or craft of war.

ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms

Noun	1.	war - the waging of armed conflict against an enemy; "thousands of people were killed in the war" warfare de-escalation - (war) a reduction in intensity (of a crisis or a war) military action, action - a military engagement; "he saw action in Korea" limited war - a war whose objective is less than the unconditional defeat of the enemy psychological warfare, war of nerves - the use of psychological tactics to destroy the opponents' morale battle, engagement, fight, conflict - a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war; "Grant won a decisive victory in the battle of Chickamauga"; "he lost his romantic ideas about war when he got into a real engagement" civil war - a war between factions in the same country armed combat, combat - an engagement fought between two military forces chemical operations, chemical warfare - warfare using chemical agents to kill or injure or incapacitate the enemy bioattack, biologic attack, biological attack, biological warfare, BW - the use of bacteria or viruses or toxins to destroy men and animals or food information warfare, IW - the use of information or information technology during a time of crisis or conflict to achieve or promote specific objectives over a specific adversary or adversaries; "not everyone agrees that information warfare is limited to the realm of traditional warfare" international jihad, jehad, jihad - a holy war waged by Muslims against infidels world war - a war in which the major nations of the world are involved aggression - the act of initiating hostilities armed forces, armed services, military, military machine, war machine - the military forces of a nation; "their military is the largest in the region"; "the military machine is the same one we faced in 1991 but now it is weaker" side - one of two or more contesting groups; "the Confederate side was prepared to attack" despoiler, freebooter, looter, pillager, plunderer, raider, spoiler - someone who takes spoils or plunder (as in war) state of war, war - a legal state created by a declaration of war and ended by official declaration during which the international rules of war apply; "war was declared in November but actual fighting did not begin until the following spring" hot war - actual fighting between the warring parties
	2.	war - a legal state created by a declaration of war and ended by official declaration during which the international rules of war apply; "war was declared in November but actual fighting did not begin until the following spring" state of war war, warfare - the waging of armed conflict against an enemy; "thousands of people were killed in the war" antagonism, enmity, hostility - a state of deep-seated ill-will proxy war - a war instigated by a major power that does not itself participate peace - the state prevailing during the absence of war
	3.	war - an active struggle between competing entities; "a price war"; "a war of wits"; "diplomatic warfare" warfare conflict, struggle, battle - an open clash between two opposing groups (or individuals); "the harder the conflict the more glorious the triumph"--Thomas Paine; "police tried to control the battle between the pro- and anti-abortion mobs" drug war - conflict between law enforcement and those who deal in illegal drugs trench warfare - a struggle (usually prolonged) between competing entities in which neither side is able to win; "the hope that his superior campaigning skills would make a difference evaporated in the realization that electioneering had become a form of trench warfare"
	4.	war - a concerted campaign to end something that is injurious; "the war on poverty"; "the war against crime" crusade, campaign, cause, drive, effort, movement - a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end; "he supported populist campaigns"; "they worked in the cause of world peace"; "the team was ready for a drive toward the pennant"; "the movement to end slavery"; "contributed to the war effort"
Verb	1.	war - make or wage war fight, struggle, contend - be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight; "the tribesmen fought each other"; "Siblings are always fighting"; "Militant groups are contending for control of the country" blitzkrieg - fight a quick and surprising war go to war, take arms, take up arms - commence hostilities make peace - end hostilities; "The brothers who had been fighting over their inheritance finally made peace"

war

noun 1. conflict, drive, attack, fighting, fight, operation, battle, movement, push, struggle, clash, combat, offensive, hostilities, hostility, warfare, expedition, crusade, strife, bloodshed, jihad, enmity, armed conflict << OPPOSITE peace

2. campaign, drive, attack, operation, movement, push, mission, offensive, crusade

verb 3. fight, battle, clash, wage war, campaign, struggle, combat, contend, go to war, do battle, make war, take up arms, bear arms, cross swords, conduct a war, engage in hostilities, carry on hostilities << OPPOSITE make peace >> adjectives belligerent, martial

Translations