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
Both sides have ramped up cross-border drone warfare, often going deeper into each country's territory.
—
Stephen J. Beard, USA Today, 10 May 2025
With missiles tracking targets from miles away, nations are pouring resources into stealth, advanced avionics, and electronic warfare—reshaping doctrines for a battlefield no longer visible to the naked eye.
—Amira El-Fekki, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
WestJet, another budget carrier based in Canada, has cut back on flights to the U.S. in the wake of the tariff warfare triggered by President Donald Trump.
—David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 7 May 2025
Eckhardt’s powerful book, Prayers That Rout Demons, is designed for seasoned Believers and shares warfare prayers in the areas of casting out demons, teaching strategies for overcoming demonic oppression, and so much more.
—Lynnette Nicholas, Essence, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for warfare
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.
Stephen J. Beard, USA Today, 10 May 2025
With missiles tracking targets from miles away, nations are pouring resources into stealth, advanced avionics, and electronic warfare—reshaping doctrines for a battlefield no longer visible to the naked eye.
—Amira El-Fekki, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
WestJet, another budget carrier based in Canada, has cut back on flights to the U.S. in the wake of the tariff warfare triggered by President Donald Trump.
—David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 7 May 2025
Eckhardt’s powerful book, Prayers That Rout Demons, is designed for seasoned Believers and shares warfare prayers in the areas of casting out demons, teaching strategies for overcoming demonic oppression, and so much more.
—Lynnette Nicholas, Essence, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for warfare
Cite this Entry
“Warfare.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/warfare. Accessed 18 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
warfare
noun
war·fare
ˈwȯr-ˌfa(ə)r 
-ˌfe(ə)r
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share