Meaning of "war" in the English dictionary

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD WAR

From Old Northern French werre (variant of Old French guerre), of Germanic origin; related to Old High German werra.

Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.

PRONUNCIATION OF WAR

war  [wɔː]

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF WAR

War is a verb and can also act as a noun.

A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

The verb is the part of the sentence that is conjugated and expresses action and state of being.

See the conjugation of the verb war in English.

WHAT DOES WAR MEAN IN ENGLISH?

War

War is an organized and often prolonged conflict that is carried out by states or non-state actors. It is generally characterised by extreme violence, social disruption and economic destruction. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political communities, and therefore is defined as a form of political violence or intervention. The set of techniques used by a group to carry out war is known as warfare. An absence of war is usually called peace. While some scholars see warfare as an inescapable and integral aspect of human nature, others argue that it is only inevitable under certain socio-cultural or ecological circumstances. For some the practice of war is not linked to any single type of political organization or society. Rather, as discussed by John Keegan in his A History of Warfare, war is a universal phenomenon whose form and scope is defined by the society that wages it. Another argument suggests that since there are human societies in which warfare does not exist, humans may not be naturally disposed for warfare, which emerges under particular circumstances.

Definition of war in the English dictionary

The first definition of war in the dictionary is open armed conflict between two or more parties, nations, or states related adjectives belligerent martial. Other definition of war is a particular armed conflict. War is also the techniques of armed conflict as a study, science, or profession.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO WAR

PRESENT

Present

I war

you war

he/she/it wars

we war

you war

they war

Present continuous

I am waring

you are waring

he/she/it is waring

we are waring

you are waring

they are waring

Present perfect

I have wared

you have wared

he/she/it has wared

we have wared

you have wared

they have wared

Present perfect continuous

I have been waring

you have been waring

he/she/it has been waring

we have been waring

you have been waring

they have been waring

Present tense is used to refer to circumstances that exist at the present time or over a period that includes the present time. The present perfect refers to past events, although it can be considered to denote primarily the resulting present situation rather than the events themselves.

PAST

Past

I wared

you wared

he/she/it wared

we wared

you wared

they wared

Past continuous

I was waring

you were waring

he/she/it was waring

we were waring

you were waring

they were waring

Past perfect

I had wared

you had wared

he/she/it had wared

we had wared

you had wared

they had wared

Past perfect continuous

I had been waring

you had been waring

he/she/it had been waring

we had been waring

you had been waring

they had been waring

Past tense forms express circumstances existing at some time in the past,

FUTURE

Future

I will war

you will war

he/she/it will war

we will war

you will war

they will war

Future continuous

I will be waring

you will be waring

he/she/it will be waring

we will be waring

you will be waring

they will be waring

Future perfect

I will have wared

you will have wared

he/she/it will have wared

we will have wared

you will have wared

they will have wared

Future perfect continuous

I will have been waring

you will have been waring

he/she/it will have been waring

we will have been waring

you will have been waring

they will have been waring

The future is used to express circumstances that will occur at a later time.

CONDITIONAL

Conditional

I would war

you would war

he/she/it would war

we would war

you would war

they would war

Conditional continuous

I would be waring

you would be waring

he/she/it would be waring

we would be waring

you would be waring

they would be waring

Conditional perfect

I would have war

you would have war

he/she/it would have war

we would have war

you would have war

they would have war

Conditional perfect continuous

I would have been waring

you would have been waring

he/she/it would have been waring

we would have been waring

you would have been waring

they would have been waring

Conditional or "future-in-the-past" tense refers to hypothetical or possible actions.

IMPERATIVE

Imperative

you war
we let´s war
you war

The imperative is used to form commands or requests.

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

Infinitive

to war

Past participle

wared

Present Participle

waring

Infinitive shows the action beyond temporal perspective. The present participle or gerund shows the action during the session. The past participle shows the action after completion.

SYNONYMS OF «WAR»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «war» and belong to the same grammatical category.

synonyms of war

attack · battle · bear arms · bloodshed · campaign · clash · combat · conflict · contend · contention · contest · cross swords · crusade · cyberwar · do battle · drive · enmity · expedition · fight · fighting · hostilities · hostility · jihad · mission · movement · offensive · operation · push · strife · struggle · warfare

TRANSLATION OF WAR

Find out the translation of war to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of war from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «war» in English.

• Translator English - Chinese: 战争
• Translator English - Spanish: guerra
• English: war
• Translator English - Hindi: युद्ध
• Translator English - Arabic: حَرْب
• Translator English - Russian: война
• Translator English - Portuguese: guerra
• Translator English - Bengali: যুদ্ধ
• Translator English - French: guerre
• Translator English - Malay: Perang
• Translator English - German: Krieg
• Translator English - Japanese: 戦争
• Translator English - Korean: 전쟁
• Translator English - Javanese: Perang
• Translator English - Vietnamese: chiến tranh
• Translator English - Tamil: போர்
• Translator English - Marathi: युद्ध
• Translator English - Turkish: savaş
• Translator English - Italian: guerra
• Translator English - Polish: wojna
• Translator English - Ukrainian: війна
• Translator English - Romanian: război
• Translator English - Greek: πόλεμος
• Translator English - Afrikaans: oorlog
• Translator English - Swedish: krig
• Translator English - Norwegian: krig

10 QUOTES WITH «WAR»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word war.

1

Barkhad Abdi

I left Somalia when I was seven years old, but I witnessed a whole year in a war.

2

Kate Adie

But in the first Gulf war the United Kingdom was not under any threat from Iraq, and is still less so in the second one. Then there is no justification for obstructing freedom of information, particularly as nations have a right to know what their soldiers are being used for.

3

Gresham Barrett

While war is never anyone first choice, sometimes it is a necessary choice.

4

Ishmael Beah

I was one of those children forced into fighting at the age of 13, in my country Sierra Leone, a war that claimed the lives of my mother, father and two brothers. I know too well the emotional, psychological and physical burden that comes with being exposed to violence as a child or at any age for that matter.

5

Phil Bredesen

If the Southeast represents the new battlefield in the war on meth, then Tennessee clearly is at ground zero.

6

Adrien Brody

War is chaotic and when you start having a larger scale film and you have a lot of safety protocols and choreography, I would imagine it becomes more difficult.

7

Clark M. Clifford

We're going through a kind of ancient, barbaric war dance now - it's almost an ultimate in absurdity.

8

Howard Dean

The idea that we're going to win this war is an idea that unfortunately is just plain wrong.

9

Karen DeCrow

No matter what is happening in life or in the world - war, natural disaster, poor health, pain, the death of loved ones - if existence is filled with art, music and literature, life will be fulfilling, a joy.

10

Henry Van Dyke

A peace that depends on fear is nothing but a suppressed war.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «WAR»

Discover the use of war in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to war and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era

This authoritative volume makes sense of that vast and confusing "second American Revolution" we call the Civil War, a war that transformed a nation and expanded our heritage of liberty.

James M. McPherson, 1988

War: Essays in Political Philosophy

The book is divided into three parts: initiating war, waging war, and ending war. The contributors aim to provide a comprehensive introduction to each of these main areas of dispute concerning war.

Larry May, 2008

The War for Talent

Written by recognized authorities on the topic, this is the definitive strategic guide on how to win the war for talent.

Ed Michaels, Helen Handfield-Jones, Beth Axelrod, 2001

On War

On War is considered to be the first modern book of military strategy. This is due mainly to Clausewitz' integration of political, social, and economic issues as some of the most important factors in deciding the outcomes of a war.

Carl Von Clausewitz, 2008

Bush at War

With his unmatched investigative skill, Bob Woodward tells the behind-the-scenes story of how President George W. Bush and his top national security advisers, after the initial shock of the September 11 attacks, led the nation to war.

Bob Woodward, 2002

The Logic of Violence in Civil War

By analytically decoupling war and violence, this book explores the causes and dynamics of violence in civil war.

Stathis N. Kalyvas, 2006

War and Games

These comparative studies focus on the relationship between war and games in an effort to achieve an understanding of the phenomenon of war, in order ultimately to avoid it.

Tim Cornell, Thomas B. Allen, 2002

The Art of War

Widely regarded as "The Oldest Military Treatise in the World," this landmark work covers principles of strategy, tactics, maneuvering, communication, and supplies; the use of terrain, fire, and the seasons of the year; the classification ...

Sun Tzu, Sunzi, 2002

Supplying War: Logistics from Wallenstein to Patton

Uses unpublished sources to examine the problems of transportation and administration and movement and supply, analyzing operations from a variety of wars and including a discussion of the role of logistics in high-tech warfare.

Martin van Creveld, 2004

Vietnam: The Necessary War: A Reinterpretation of America's ...

Offering a controversial perspective on America's most painful war, the author proposes that Vietnam should have been fought, but with different tactics.

Michael Lind, 2002

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «WAR»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term war is used in the context of the following news items.

Donald Trump Says John McCain Is No War Hero, Setting Off …

He's a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren't captured.” Mr. McCain, a naval aviator, was shot down during the Vietnam War and held ... «New York Times, Jul 15»

Japan's Mitsubishi makes prisoners of war apology

Japan's Mitsubishi corporation has made a landmark apology for using US prisoners of war as forced labour during World War Two. A senior executive, Hikaru ... «BBC News, Jul 15»

War Crimes and the Gaza War

The United Nations report on last year's Gaza war is another marker of the deadly, endless struggle between Israelis and Palestinians. It found “serious ... «New York Times, Jun 15»

Pope Francis says he senses an 'atmosphere of war' in the world

Pope Francis arrived in Sarajevo on Saturday for a visit aimed at bolstering reconciliation between war-scarred Bosnia's Serb, Croat and Muslim communities. «Business Insider, Jun 15»

Iraq War Persists as Awkward Election Issue

More than a decade after it began, the war in Iraq is still tying American politicians in knots, posing awkward questions for 2016 presidential candidates of both ... «Wall Street Journal, May 15»

Taking Note | Jeb Bush's Revisionist History of the Iraq War

What he appears to be referring to is the fact that Mrs. Clinton, like most of the Senate, voted in favor of a war resolution after George W. Bush presented ... «New York Times, May 15»

Russia Is Losing World War II

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his propaganda machine are often accused of exploiting the memory of the Soviet Union's victory over the Nazis -- even ... «Bloomberg View, May 15»

Whose Vietnam War?

I felt shameful about being on the losing side of the war, but also relieved: The millions staying behind seemed sure to face a bloodbath at the hands of the ... «New York Times, Apr 15»

Japanese war apologies lost in translation

15 August 2015 marks the 70th anniversary of the end of the Pacific War. It should be a solemn moment for reflection on a terrible episode that took many ... «East Asia Forum, Apr 15»

Few first World War campaigns matched Gallipoli for failure

A plan was hatched to knock Germany's ally, the Ottoman Empire, out of the war. This centred on breaching the Dardanelles Straits, launching an attack on ... «Irish Times, Apr 15»