war
Organized, large-scale, armed conflict between countries or between national, ethnic, or other sizeable groups, usually but not always involving active engagement of military forces.
Noun 4 meanings
Organized, large-scale, armed conflict between countries or between national, ethnic, or other sizeable groups, usually but not always involving active engagement of military forces.
“holy war; just war; civil war”
A particular conflict of this kind.
“a war of succession... a war of attrition... the Cold War... World War III...”
Protracted armed conflict against irregular forces, particularly groups considered terrorists.
“the Great Emu War... the Global War on Terrorism...”
Protracted state or state-sponsored political violence against dissidents.
“the Dirty War...”
Verb 2 meanings
To engage in conflict (may be followed by "with" to specify the foe).
To carry on, as a contest; to wage.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English werre, from Late Old English werre /wyrre (“armed conflict”), from Anglo-Norman and Old Northern French guerre /werre (compare modern French guerre), from Medieval Latin werra, from Frankish *werʀu (“confusion; quarrel”), from Proto-Indo-European *wers- (“to mix up, confuse, beat, thresh”).
Similar and opposite words
WAR at a glance
WAR has 3 letters and scores 6 points in Scrabble (W 4 + A 1 + R 1) and 6 in Words With Friends, before board bonuses. It ranks #312 by how often it appears in everyday English. It is valid in ENABLE, NWL2023, Collins/SOWPODS.
Rhymes with war
All rhymes- POSTWAR12
- DEWAR9
- PREWAR11
- ANTIWAR10
- INTERWAR11
- SALWAR9
- CYBERWAR18
- SHALWAR13
- JOWAR15
- PROWAR11
- PSYWAR14
- PULWAR11
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