Inherited from Middle English werre, from Late Old English werre /wyrre (“armed conflict”), from Anglo-Norman and Old Northern French guerre /werre (compare modern French guerre), from Medieval Latin werra, from Frankish *werʀu (“confusion; quarrel”), from Proto-Indo-European *wers- (“to mix up, confuse, beat, thresh”). Gradually displaced native Old English beadu, hild, ġewinn, orleġe, wīġ, and many others as the general term for "war" during the Middle English period. Related to Old High German werra (“confusion, strife, quarrel”) and German verwirren (“to confuse”), but not to Wehr (“defense”). Also related to Old Saxon werran (“to confuse, perplex”), Dutch war (“confusion, disarray”), West Frisian war (“struggle, resistance, defense, effort, exertion, activity”), Old English wyrsa, wiersa (“worse”), Old Norse verri (“worse, orig. confounded, mixed up”), Italian guerra (“war”). There may be a connection with worse and wurst.
Organized, large-scale, armed conflict between countries or between national, ethnic, or other sizeable groups, usually but not always involving active engagement of military forces.
holy war; just war; civil war
Come on, let vs deale wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it come to passe that when there falleth out any warre, they ioyne also vnto our enemies, and fight against vs, and so get them vp out of the land.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Exodus 1:10:
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And when yee shall heare of warres, and rumors of warres, be yee not troubled: For such things must needs be, but the end shall not be yet.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Mark 13:7:
War is indeed a fearful thing and the more I see it the more dreadful it appears.1854, Prince George, letter to his wife from Crimea
You cannot qualify war in harsher terms than I will. War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it; and those who brought war into our Country deserve all the curses and maledictions a people can pour out... You might as well appeal against the thunder-storm as against these terrible hardships of war.1864 Sept. 12, William Tecumseh Sherman, letter to the mayor of Atlanta & al.
I've been where you are now and I know just how you feel. It's entirely natural that there should beat in the breast of every one of you a hope and desire that some day you can use the skill you have acquired here. Suppress it! You don't know the horrible aspects of war. I've been through two wars and I know. I've seen cities and homes in ashes. I've seen thousands of men lying on the ground, their dead faces looking up at the skies. I tell you, war is hell!1879 June 19, William Tecumseh Sherman, speech to the Michigan Military Academy
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A particular conflict of this kind.
All human tribes glad token see In the close of the wars of Grant and Lee.1865, Herman Melville, The Surrender at Appomattox:
A second challenge will be to implement, with our allies, a plan of stability in the Balkans, so that the region's bitter ethnic problems can no longer be exploited by dictators and Americans do not have to cross the Atlantic again to fight in another war.1999 Nov. 8, Bill Clinton, speech at Georgetown University
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a war of succession... a war of attrition... the Cold War... World War III...
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Proscribed, Sometimes Protracted armed conflict against irregular forces, particularly groups considered terrorists.
Our war on terror begins with al Qaeda, but it does not end there. It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped and defeated.2001 Sept. 20, George W. Bush, speech before Congress, White House Archives
...These wars are not going away. This is at least a generational struggle.2021 Sept. 8, Seth G. Jones, quoted in Chris Moody, "Twenty Years after 9/11, Did US Win Its ‘War on Terror’?" Al-Jazeera
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the Great Emu War... the Global War on Terrorism...
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Broadly Any protracted conflict, particularly
the War on Poverty... the War on Drugs... the War on Christmas...2025 October 2, William Davies, “A critique of pure stupidity: understanding Trump 2.0”, in The Guardian:
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US, Broadly A sustained campaign against a social problem, idea, set of values, etc.
The war against war is going to be no holiday excursion or camping party... Ask all our millions, north and south, whether they would vote now (were such a thing possible) to have our war for the Union expunged from history... and probably hardly a handful of eccentrics would say yes. Those ancestors, those efforts, those memories and legends, ar the most ideal part of what we now own together, a sacred spiritual possession worth more than all the blood poured out. Yet ask those same people whether they would be willing, in cold blood, to start another civil war now to gain another similar possession, and not one man or woman would vote for the proposition.1906, William James, The Moral Equivalent of War:
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BusinessBroadly A protracted instance of fierce competition in trade.
price wars... Cola Wars... format wars...
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Broadly A prolonged conflict between two groups of organized criminals, usually over organizational or territorial control.
turf war... gang war... Castellammarese War...
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Internet, Broadly An argument between two or more people with opposing opinions on a topic or issue.
flame war... edit war...
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Obsolete An assembly of weapons; instruments of war.
The God of Love himſelf inhabits there, With all his rage, and dread, and grief, and care, His complement of ſtores, and total war...1709, Matthew Prior, “Henry and Emma. […]”, in The Poetical Works of Matthew Prior […], volume I, London: […] W[illiam] Strahan, […], published 1779, →OCLC, page 245:
On thir imbattelld ranks the Waves return, And overwhelm thir Warr1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
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Card games, Games Any of a family of card games where all cards are dealt at the beginning of play and players attempt to capture them all, typically involving no skill and only serving to kill time.
We played crazy eights, war, fifty-two card pickup. Rudy flipped the whole deck across the table at me and the cards sailed to the floor, kings, queens, deuces.2004, Karen Salyer McElmurray, Strange Birds in the Tree of Heaven:
Inherited from Middle English werre, from Late Old English werre /wyrre (“armed conflict”), from Anglo-Norman and Old Northern French guerre /werre (compare modern French guerre), from Medieval Latin werra, from Frankish *werʀu (“confusion; quarrel”), from Proto-Indo-European *wers- (“to mix up, confuse, beat, thresh”). Gradually displaced native Old English beadu, hild, ġewinn, orleġe, wīġ, and many others as the general term for "war" during the Middle English period. Related to Old High German werra (“confusion, strife, quarrel”) and German verwirren (“to confuse”), but not to Wehr (“defense”). Also related to Old Saxon werran (“to confuse, perplex”), Dutch war (“confusion, disarray”), West Frisian war (“struggle, resistance, defense, effort, exertion, activity”), Old English wyrsa, wiersa (“worse”), Old Norse verri (“worse, orig. confounded, mixed up”), Italian guerra (“war”). There may be a connection with worse and wurst.
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To engage in conflict (may be followed by "with" to specify the foe).
...to war the Scot, and borders to defend...1595, Samuel Daniel, The First Four Books of the Civil Wars:
And they warred against the Midianites, as the Lord commanded Moses, and they slew all the males1611, King James Bible, Book of Numbers, 31:7
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Once more vnto the Breach, Deare friends, once more... Be Coppy now to men of groſſer blood, And teach them how to Warre.1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i], page 77:
This vein of reflection, warring with his inner knowledge that he had been driven by fear and hatred . . ., produced an exhausting whirl in his thoughts.1882, George Bernard Shaw, chapter 14, in Cashel Byron's Profession:
People keep on learning Soldiers keep on warring World keep on turning 'Cause it won't be too long1973, Stevie Wonder, “Higher Ground”, in Innervisions:
In a paradox, language wars against the world.1979 April 28, Gerry McNamara, “Life for Art's Sake”, in Gay Community News, page 11:
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To carry on, as a contest; to wage.
[…], that thou by them mighteſt warre a good warfare,[…].1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Timothy 1:18, column 2:
By God, that man does war honour.1970, Waterloo, spoken by Arthur Wellesley: