ENGLISH
REFERENCE

warfare

n. uncountable
C1 Advanced Oxford US //ˈwɔɹˌfɛɹ// UK //wˈɔːfeə// war·fare

n. the activity of fighting a war or a specific way of fighting. You use this word to talk about the methods and tools people use in a conflict.

n. the engagement in or the activities of armed conflict between enemies. Often used to describe specific methods or environments of combat.


SIMPLE

The country is preparing for modern electronic warfare.

CONTEXTUAL

The general studied the history of trench warfare to understand how soldiers survived in such difficult conditions.

COMPLEX

The transition from conventional warfare to asymmetric conflict has forced military theorists to reconsider traditional doctrines regarding territorial defense and civilian protection.

Synonyms
Origin

From war + fare; perhaps a shortening of Middle English werre-faringe, werfarynge (“waging war, warfare”, literally “going to war”).

Idioms1 entry

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