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
Many professors swell with pride talking about how the school’s commitment to these principles has endured through two world wars, Vietnam and, more recently, the tumult of the Trump administration.
—
Jeremy W. Peters Jamie Kelter Davis, New York Times, 6 May 2024
And their core message is the need to learn from Europe’s own recent history: above all, from the two world wars that engulfed the Continent in the last century.
—Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for world war 
Jeremy W. Peters Jamie Kelter Davis, New York Times, 6 May 2024
And their core message is the need to learn from Europe’s own recent history: above all, from the two world wars that engulfed the Continent in the last century.
—Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for world war
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'world war.' 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 world war
Cite this Entry
“World war.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/world%20war. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
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