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 drugs

4 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 something

6 the war especially BrE the Second World War

7 between the wars the period between the First and Second World Wars

8 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