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, psychological warfare, trench warfare
Synonyms
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
The thunderous crowd marveled at the camaraderie, especially after much of the year consisted of lyrical warfare in hip-hop.
—
Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 22 May 2024
The war in Ukraine is showing the importance of new technology — drone technology in particular, and Starlink, satellite communications, sea warfare, and so on, that are really changing the way the war is being fought.
—Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 20 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for warfare 
Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 22 May 2024
The war in Ukraine is showing the importance of new technology — drone technology in particular, and Starlink, satellite communications, sea warfare, and so on, that are really changing the way the war is being fought.
—Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 20 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for warfare
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'warfare.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near warfare
Cite this Entry
“Warfare.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/warfare. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
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warfare
noun
war·fare
ˈwȯr-ˌfa(ə)r 
-ˌfe(ə)r
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