world war

noun

Synonyms of world warnext
: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The effort aims to turn a base that served in two world wars into a West Coast cargo hub. — James Taylor, CBS News, 21 May 2026 Horkheimer, amid the wreckage of world war, lost faith in progress; his dialectic negated one construct after another. — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 15 June 2026 Woolf composed her great modernist novels and her brilliant essays while troubled by suicidal thoughts and the tumult of two world wars. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 1 July 2026 Louis' boxing matches with Schmeling were viewed as pivotal international events in the context of the brewing world war with Nazi Germany. — Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 19 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for world war

Word History

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of world war was in 1848

Rhymes for world war

See All Rhymes for world war

Browse Nearby Words

worldview
world war
worldward
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“World war.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/world%20war. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

world war

noun
: a war involving all or most of the chief nations of the world
especially, capitalized both Ws : either of two such wars of the 20th century

More from Merriam-Webster on world war

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for world war

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