warlord
gb/wˈɔɹlˌɔɹd/ us/wˈɔɹlˌɔɹd/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
C1
role
1
Armed regional strongman
a leader who controls an area with soldiers or armed followers, often without legal authority
Usage pattern:
[place] warlord; warlord in [place]
Common mistake:
Do not use it for any ordinary soldier or official army commander; it usually suggests independent, coercive control. It is normally written as one word: warlord.
Synonyms
strongman (more general; can be political rather than military)
|
militia leader (more specific; refers to the head of a militia)
|
armed faction leader (descriptive and neutral in tone)
|
military strongman (emphasizes authoritarian military power)
Antonyms
civilian leader (a leader without military or armed control)
|
peacemaker (someone working to end conflict rather than command armed forces)
Collocations
local warlord
|regional warlord
|powerful warlord
|rival warlords
|former warlord
|rebel warlord
|militia warlord
|Somali warlord
|Afghan warlord
|warlord faction
Themes
politics
|military
|conflict
|government
Examples
- After the government collapsed, rival warlords seized control of several provinces.
- The peace talks brought together ministers, rebel commanders, and local warlords.
- The village paid taxes to a warlord rather than to the state.
Learner examples
- The warlord controlled the town with his soldiers.
- Several warlords fought for power.
Noun
informal
C2
role
2
Ruthless powerful leader
a powerful person who controls others by pressure, fear, or aggressive behavior
Usage pattern:
[domain] warlord; act like a warlord
Common mistake:
This figurative use is negative and exaggerated; do not use it for a normal manager or leader.
Synonyms
power broker (controls decisions or influence; less violent in tone)
|
bully (emphasizes intimidation more than power or status)
|
boss (informal and much weaker; not necessarily negative)
Antonyms
consensus builder (leads by agreement rather than intimidation)
|
team player (cooperates instead of dominating others)
Collocations
corporate warlord
|media warlord
|political warlord
|party warlord
|industry warlord
Themes
power
|business
|politics
|behavior
Examples
- The billionaire was sometimes described as a media warlord because of the way he crushed competitors.
- A few party warlords blocked reforms that threatened their control over candidate selection.
- He acted like a warlord in the office, demanding total loyalty from everyone around him.
Learner examples
- People called the manager a warlord because he bullied the staff.
Grammar
Dictionary form
warlord
IPA
GB/wˈɔɹlˌɔɹd/
US/wˈɔɹlˌɔɹd/
Syllables & stress
war - lord (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (war)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: warlord
- Plural: warlords
Expressions
the warlord era
1/ðə wˈɔɹlˌɔɹd ˈɛɹə/
fixed phrase
Chinese warlord period
a period in Chinese history when many regional military leaders fought for power
Examples
- The novel is set during China's Warlord Era.
- In the Warlord Era, regional armies often answered to local commanders rather than to a central government.
- The lecture covered the fall of the Qing dynasty and the rise of the Warlord Era.
warlord politics
1/wˈɔɹlˌɔɹd pˈɑlətˌɪks/
fixed phrase
Rule by armed strongmen
politics controlled by armed local leaders instead of a strong national government
Examples
- The collapse of the army opened the door to warlord politics.
- Analysts feared that the province would return to warlord politics if the peace deal failed.
- The report described a pattern of warlord politics in areas outside government control.