- war
- noun
1 WAR IN GENERAL (U) fighting between two or more countries or opposing groups within a country, involving large numbers of soldiers and weapons: Cambodia has been ravaged by war for the past 20 years. | war breaks out (=war begins): War broke out in September of 1939. | be at war (with): In 1920 Poland and Russia were still at war. | declare war (on sb) (=announce publicly and officially that you are going to fight a war) | go to war (with) (=start to fight a war with another country) | wage war (on/against) (=start and continue a war, especially for a long period) | the outbreak of war (=the start of fighting in a war)2 A PARTICULAR WAR (C) a particular period of time when countries fight with soldiers and weapons: Do you remember the last war? | the Vietnam/Seven Years/First World etc War: America's defeat in the Vietnam War(+ with/against): Iran's seven year war with Iraq | win/lose a war: tactical errors that made France lose the war | fight a war: Britain has fought two wars in Europe this century. | war between: The war between England and France was to last another 50 years. | a nuclear war: Both countries wanted to avoid a nuclear war. | a war hero (=a brave soldier) | a war veteran (=a former soldier)3 AGAINST CRIME/DISEASE ETC (C, U) a struggle over a long period of time to control something harmful(+ against/on): the State's war on drugs4 FOR POWER/CONTROL (C, U) a situation in which a person or group is fighting for power, influence, or control: No one wants to start a trade war here.5 This means war! spoken humorous used to say that you are ready to fight about something6 the war especially BrE the Second World War7 between the wars the period between the First and Second World Wars8 look like you have been in the wars BrE spoken to look injured or damaged—see also: civil war, cold war, price war, prisoner of war, war of attrition, war of nerves, war of words, warring
Longman dictionary of contemporary English. 2004.