-
- To save this word, you'll need to log in.
world war
noun
: a war engaged in by all or most of the principal nations of the world
especially,
World War
: either of two such wars of the first half of the 20th century
Examples of world war in a Sentence
He fought in both World Wars.
The nations were prepared for world war.
Recent Examples on the Web
Phew, no world war, and lucky McGee got to wear a comfy hoodie in the office for the crisis.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 5 Nov. 2024
Because, choosing between some promises and the possibility of starting a third world war—the choice is still quite obvious.
—Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 2 Nov. 2024
Aerospace took a world war and almost 40 years to become a significant industry.
—Jon Younger, Forbes, 20 Sep. 2024
Katie Hafner: For women in the U.K. between the two world wars, studying chemistry was especially hard.
—Katie Hafner, Scientific American, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for world war
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.
Word History
First Known Use
1848, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near world war
Cite this Entry
“World war.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/world%20war. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
world war
noun
: a war involving all or most of the chief nations of the world
especially, capitalized both Ws
: either of two such wars of the 20th century
More from Merriam-Webster on world war
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for world war
Britannica English: Translation of world war for Arabic Speakers
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share