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
That should have been put to rest by two world wars.
—
Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 29 Mar. 2025
Aust showed me a sepia portrait of Hiller, who looked out with sunken eyes, a middle-aged man who had already lived through one world war.
—Malcolm Hillgartner Tanya Pérez Lance Neal, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
The Diplomat — which premiered in April 2023 — chronicles Kate, the U.S. ambassador to the U.K., attempting to prevent another world war after a British aircraft carrier was bombed.
—Stephanie Wenger, People.com, 24 Feb. 2025
The collapse of the Soviet Union greatly reduced the West’s fear of another world war—a fear that had led Western leaders to tolerate Soviet spheres of influence in central and eastern Europe.
—Monica Duffy Toft, Foreign Affairs, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for world war
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Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 29 Mar. 2025
Aust showed me a sepia portrait of Hiller, who looked out with sunken eyes, a middle-aged man who had already lived through one world war.
—Malcolm Hillgartner Tanya Pérez Lance Neal, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
The Diplomat — which premiered in April 2023 — chronicles Kate, the U.S. ambassador to the U.K., attempting to prevent another world war after a British aircraft carrier was bombed.
—Stephanie Wenger, People.com, 24 Feb. 2025
The collapse of the Soviet Union greatly reduced the West’s fear of another world war—a fear that had led Western leaders to tolerate Soviet spheres of influence in central and eastern Europe.
—Monica Duffy Toft, Foreign Affairs, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for world war
Cite this Entry
“World war.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/world%20war. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.
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