cold war

noun

1

: a conflict over ideological differences carried on by methods short of sustained overt military action and usually without breaking off diplomatic relations

specifically, often capitalized C&W : the ideological conflict between the U.S. and the Soviet Union during the second half of the 20th century compare hot war

2

: a condition of rivalry, mistrust, and often open hostility short of violence especially between power groups (such as labor and management)

Examples of cold war in a Sentence

the era of the Cold War

the cold war between the party's more liberal and conservative members

Recent Examples on the Web

Possible consequences include a second international cold war threatening disastrous American decline or, conceivably, even a third world war. —Jay Ambrose, Boston Herald, 14 Jan. 2024

Kino Lorber’s cold war doc Soundtrack To A Coup d’Etat opened at the Film Forum in NYC to $9.1k. —Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 3 Nov. 2024

Second, a worry is that if countries try to keep their AI close to the vest, this will in turn start a new kind of cold war. —Lance Eliot, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024

It’s generally agreed by the Housewives consuming public that this current iteration of Real Housewives of New Jersey — with Team Teresa and Team Melissa in a cold war and everyone playing their stories out in the press rather than in dramatic dinner scenes — is not sustainable. —Bethy Squires, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

cold war

noun

: a struggle over political differences (as of two nations) carried on by methods short of war and usually without breaking off diplomatic relations