war

Definitions

From Old North French werre, from Frankish *werra ('confusion, strife') — kin to worse/worst. War entered English as a borrowed Germanic word for armed conflict; its deepest sense is not glory but things falling into chaos.

Why It Means This

English imported war from French even though it had native words for it, and the borrowed root carries an unexpected undertone: Frankish *werra meant 'confusion, strife,' tied to the same family as worse. So beneath the formal sense of organized conflict lies an older idea of everything descending into a mess — which is why 'war' so easily extends to any chaotic, all-out struggle: a price war, a war on poverty, a war of words.

Common Collocations

• 1.go to war开战
• 2.at war处于战争状态
• 3.declare war宣战
• 4.civil war内战
• 5.world war世界大战
• 6.wage war发动战争

Example Sentences

• 1.

  The two countries had been at war for nearly a decade.

• 2.

  Millions of lives were lost in the war.

• 3.

  The government declared war on drug trafficking.

• 4.

  Neighboring tribes warred over the fertile valley.

Easily Confused

war vs battle — A war is the whole prolonged conflict (World War II); a battle is one fight within it (the Battle of Normandy). You can win every battle and still lose the war. War = the campaign; battle = a single clash.

Synonym Comparison