war

war — noun

1. a period of armed fighting between countries or groups, involving weapons and so

1.nounA2
Definition

a period of armed fighting between countries or groups, involving weapons and soldiers

Example

The border war between Niger and Mali forced many families to leave their homes.

war between [countries]

Eleni's grandfather lost two brothers in the war of 1998.

Common collocations
  • declare war
  • go to war
  • at war
  • civil war
  • world war
  • wage war
  • war breaks out
Synonyms
  • conflict

    broader term that includes any serious disagreement, not necessarily with weapons

  • warfare

    refers to the activity or methods of fighting, not a specific event

  • hostilities

    formal term for active fighting during a war

Antonyms
  • peace

    the opposite of war, a state without fighting

Grammar Patterns

war + between/against/with

Common Mistakes

World War Second was a big war.
World War II was a global war involving many countries.
Use ordinal numbers (II) and avoid 'big' for war scale; use 'global', 'major', or 'devastating' instead.

2. a type of war in which opposing sides fight for a very long time until one side

2.noun
Definition

a type of war in which opposing sides fight for a very long time until one side no longer has the soldiers, weapons, or will to continue

Example

The thirty-year struggle became a war of attrition with no clear winner.

a war of attrition

Nikhil explained that in a war of attrition, the larger army usually wins.

Common collocations
  • long war of attrition
  • war of attrition against
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

a war of attrition

Usage Note

This sense typically appears as the fixed phrase 'a war of attrition'. It can also be used metaphorically in business or sports to describe a long struggle that wears down both sides.

Common Mistakes

The two companies are in an attrition war.
The two companies are in a war of attrition.
The fixed phrase is 'war of attrition', not 'attrition war'.

3. a strategy of putting pressure on an opponent through threats and displays of po

3.noun
Definition

a strategy of putting pressure on an opponent through threats and displays of power to damage their confidence, often before a contest

Example

The chess match became a war of nerves between the two top players.

a war of nerves

Just before the election, both parties engaged in a war of nerves.

Common collocations
  • war of nerves between
  • play a war of nerves
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

a war of nerves

Usage Note

Also expressed as 'a war of nerves'. This is a fixed phrase describing psychological strategy, not physical fighting. Common in sports, politics, and business contexts.

4. a strong and long-lasting effort to compete against something or to end somethin

4.nounC2
Definition

a strong and long-lasting effort to compete against something or to end something harmful, such as a disease, crime, or social problem

Example

The government declared a war on drugs that lasted for ten years.

war on [problem]

Local schools joined the war against poverty by offering free breakfast programmes.

Common collocations
  • war on
  • war against
  • trade war
  • price war
  • war on drugs
Synonyms
  • campaign

    organized series of actions to achieve a goal, less aggressive than 'war'

  • struggle

    a hard effort to deal with a difficulty

  • crusade

    a strong effort to change something believed to be wrong

Grammar Patterns

war on/against [something harmful]

war between [competitors]

Usage Note

Commonly appears in fixed phrases: 'war on drugs', 'war on poverty', 'war on terror', 'trade war', 'price war', 'war against [disease]'. The preposition 'on' or 'against' introduces the target. Can be used for competition between companies.

Common Mistakes

I am making a war against my bad habits.
I am waging war on my bad habits.' or 'I am fighting my bad habits.
Use 'wage war on/against' or 'declare war on', not 'make a war against'.
Idioms

all's fair in love and war

idiom

used to say that in certain situations, such as romance or conflict, people may break normal rules of behaviour to get what they want

Eli told his friend that taking the last ticket was unfair, but his friend replied that all's fair in love and war.

Mei-Lin knew her trick on her rival was mean, but all's fair in love and war, she reminded herself.

have been in the wars

idiom

to look injured, damaged, or in a bad condition, often in a slightly humorous way

Justin came home with a black eye and torn trousers; he looked like he had been in the wars.

The old teddy bear had lost an arm and one eye — it had clearly been in the wars.

a war of words

idiom

a bitter or angry argument between two people or groups that continues over time, usually in public

The two politicians engaged in a war of words that filled the newspapers for weeks.

The war of words between the film critics and the director became quite personal.

all’s fair in love and war

idiom

In certain situations, any action is considered acceptable to achieve your goal.

Maya lied to get the job, but all's fair in love and war.

Did Diego cheat during the game? Well, all's fair in love and war.

a war of nerves

idiom

A conflict where each side tries to make the other lose courage or confidence through pressure.

The two companies are engaged in a war of nerves over the contract.

Sara felt exhausted after the war of nerves with her landlord.

war — verb

Word family

  • warfare
    nounB2
  • warrior
    nounB2
  • postwar
    adjectiveB2
  • prewar
    adjectiveC1
  • warring
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words relate to fighting, but they differ in scope and use. 'War' is the broadest term for organized armed fighting between countries or groups that lasts over time — it is the most common word for this concept. 'Conflict' is even broader and can refer to any serious disagreement, from a political dispute to a full-scale war, and does not always involve weapons. 'Battle' refers to a single, specific fight within a larger war — for example, the Battle of Midway was one major event within World War II. 'Warfare' describes the general activity, methods, or technology of fighting wars, such as 'modern warfare' or 'guerrilla warfare', rather than a specific instance of fighting. In everyday speech, use 'war' for the big picture, 'battle' for one event within it, and 'warfare' when talking about how people fight.

war ↗conflict ↗battle ↗warfare ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • at war
  • in time of war
  • war and peace
  • war of independence

Prepositions

Etymology

FrankishOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'war' entered English around the 12th century from Old North French 'werre', replacing the older English word 'gūþ'. The French word came from Frankish '*werra', which meant 'conflict' or 'strife'. The same Frankish root gave rise to modern French 'guerre', Italian 'guerra', and Spanish 'guerra'.