war

war
war S2 W1 /wɔː $ wɔːr/ noun1. [uncountable and countable] when there is fighting between two or more countries or between opposing groups within a country, involving large numbers of soldiers and weapons
   OPP  peace:
    the Vietnam War
    He served as a pilot during the war.
    war against/with/between
    the war with Spain
2. [uncountable and countable] a struggle over a long period of time to control something harmful
    war on/against
    the State’s war on drugs
    the war against racism
3. [uncountable and countable] a situation in which a person or group is fighting for power, influence, or control:
    No one wants to start a trade war here.
    a ratings war between the major TV networks ⇨ price war
4. be in the wars British English spoken used, often humorously, to say that someone has lots of injuries or health problems:
    You’ve really been in the wars lately, haven’t you?
5. this means war spoken used humorously to say that you are ready to fight or argue about something
⇨ cold war, war of attrition, war of nerves, war of words, warring
     

COLLOCATIONS

■ verbs
   ▪ fight a war The two countries fought a brief war in 1995.
   ▪ fight in a war (=take part as a soldier) Her grandfather fought in the war.
   ▪ win/lose a war The Allies had won the war. | What would have happened if we’d lost the war?
   ▪ declare war In 1941, Britain and the US declared war on Japan.
   ▪ wage/make war (=to start and continue a war) Their aim was to destroy the country’s capacity to wage war.
   ▪ go to war (=become involved in a war) It has been said that democracies don’t go to war with each other.
   ▪ war breaks out (=it starts) They married just before war broke out.
   ▪ a war rages (=continues in a very violent way) A civil war is still raging there.
■ phrases
   ▪ be at war Russia was at war with Poland.
   ▪ be on the brink of war (=be about to be involved in a war) The country was on the brink of war.
   ▪ the outbreak of war (=the time when a war starts) A week after the outbreak of war, he enlisted in the army.
   ▪ the horrors of war They wanted to forget the horrors of war they had witnessed.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + war
   ▪ a world war No one wants another world war.
   ▪ a civil war (=between opposing groups within a country) the English Civil War
   ▪ a nuclear war (=involving nuclear weapons) The possibility of nuclear war was much on people’s minds in the Fifties.
   ▪ a conventional war (=not nuclear) A conventional war would still cause unacceptable devastation.
   ▪ a guerrilla war (=involving a small unofficial military group) The nine-year guerrilla war has ended at last.
   ▪ the Korean/Vietnam/Iraq etc War People were protesting against the Vietnam War.
   ▪ World War I/World War II He was a pilot in World War II.
   ▪ a just war (=one that you believe is right) They believe that they are fighting a just war.
   ▪ a religious war How many people have died in religious wars?
■ war + NOUN
   ▪ the war years The couple spent most of the war years apart.
   ▪ a war hero At home he was hailed as a war hero.
   ▪ a war veteran (=someone who took part in a war) There was a service for war veterans in the Garden of Remembrance.
   ▪ a war criminal (=someone who behaves very cruelly in a war, in a way that is against international law) the arrest of two suspected Nazi war criminals
   ▪ a war correspondent (=a reporter sending reports from a war) Being a war correspondent is a dangerous job.
   ▪ a war zone (=an area where a war is fought) The country had turned into a war zone.
   ▪ a war crime (=a cruel act in a war which is against international law) They will be charged with war crimes.
   ▪ a war wound He still suffered pain from an old war wound.
   ▪ a war grave He had gone with a friend to visit the war graves in Flanders.
■ COMMON ERRORS
    ► Do not say 'do the war'. Say go to war or make war.
     

THESAURUS

   ▪ war noun [uncountable and countable] a situation in which there is fighting between countries or opposing groups within a country, with large numbers of soldiers and weapons: He fought in World War II. | the horrors of war
   ▪ conflict noun [uncountable and countable] a situation in which there is fighting or a war – used especially in news reports: the conflict in the Middle East | There is increasing danger of armed conflict.
   ▪ fighting noun [uncountable] a situation in which people or groups fight each other and try to kill each other: The fighting went on for months. | Fighting in the north has resulted in hundreds of deaths.
   ▪ hostilities noun [plural] formal fighting in a war: The agreement called on the guerrillas to cease hostilities (=stop fighting) and begin peace talks.
   ▪ warfare noun [uncountable] the activity of fighting in a war – used especially to talk about a method of fighting: new and more advanced methods of warfare | chemical warfare
   ▪ battle noun [uncountable and countable] an occasion when two armies, groups of ships etc fight each other in one place during a war: the great naval battles of the Napoleonic Wars | the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 | He died in battle.
   ▪ skirmish /ˈskɜːmɪʃ $ ˈskɜːr-/ noun [countable] a short fight between small groups of soldiers, ships etc, especially one that happens away from the main part of a war or battle: There were minor skirmishes between Indian and Pakistani troops across the border.
   ▪ combat noun [uncountable] the act of fighting, especially during a war: Few of them had any experience of combat. | hand-to-hand combat
   ▪ action noun [uncountable] military actions carried out by the army, navy etc of a country during a war – used especially in the following phrases: He was killed in action in 1944. | Her son went missing in action. | Her grandfather saw action (=fought) in two world wars.