war
gb/wˈɔɹ/ us/wˈɔɹ/
A2
Anglais
~ 400
Sens
0 sens
Nom
A2
state
1
Armed conflict between groups
A fight using armies between countries or groups inside one country.
Schéma d’usage :
[someone/something] is at war (with [someone/something])
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse 'war' with 'battle'. A battle is one event in a war, not the whole conflict.
Synonymes
conflict (A broader term that can include non-violent disputes as well as armed fighting.)
|
battle (Refers to a single fight within a larger war.)
Antonymes
peace (The absence of war or conflict between groups or nations.)
Collocations
declare war
|go to war
|civil war
|world war
|war effort
Thèmes
politics
|history
|military
|law
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- The country has been at war for over a decade.
- World War II changed the course of history.
- They declared war after months of rising tension.
- The civil war destroyed much of the nation's infrastructure.
- Many families were separated during the war.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The two countries are at war.
- My grandfather fought in the war.
- The war lasted many years.
- They want to stop the war.
Nom
B1
action
2
Strong effort against a problem
A big and organized plan to stop something bad.
Schéma d’usage :
[someone] wages war on/against [something]
Erreur fréquente :
Some learners take this meaning literally; it is often metaphorical and does not involve weapons or armies.
Synonymes
campaign (A planned series of actions aimed at achieving a goal; less aggressive in tone than 'war'.)
Antonymes
support (To help or encourage something rather than oppose it.)
Collocations
war on drugs
|war on poverty
|wage war
Thèmes
politics
|society
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- The government has declared a war on corruption.
- They launched a war against plastic waste.
- Local authorities are waging war on graffiti.
- She is leading a war against inequality.
- The mayor promised to continue the war on crime.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The city started a war on crime.
- They fight a war against drugs.
- We must join the war on hunger.
- The school began a war on bullying.
Verbe
B2
action
3
Engage in armed fighting
To fight in a war.
Schéma d’usage :
[someone/something] wars (with/against [someone/something])
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may confuse the verb form with the noun; as a verb, 'war' is less common in modern speech and often sounds formal or literary.
Synonymes
fight (A general term for physical or armed struggle; can be smaller in scale.)
Antonymes
make peace (To end fighting and create peaceful relations.)
Collocations
war against enemies
|war with neighbors
Thèmes
military
|history
|politics
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- The two kingdoms had warred for centuries before signing a treaty.
- They will not hesitate to war against their rivals if provoked.
- Tribes often warred over territory and resources.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The two countries will war over land.
- They have warred for many years.
- Our people do not want to war with others.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
war
API
GB/wˈɔɹ/
US/wˈɔɹ/
Syllabes et accentuation
war (1 syllabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (war)
Formes du mot
Noun
- Base: war
- Plural: war, wars
Verb
- Base: war
- 3rd Person Singular: wars
- Present Participle: warring
- Past: warred
Famille de mots
Forms
wars
noun
warring
verb
warred
verb
Related words
Negative and opposite forms
antiwar
adjective
peace
noun A2
Points clés
- Irregular present participle: warring Verb
- Irregular past: warred Verb
Expressions
at war
1/ˈæt wˈɔɹ/
fixed phrase
In a state of conflict
Fighting in a war.
Exemples
- The country has been at war for over five years.
- Two rival gangs are at war in the city.
cold war
1/kˈoʊld wˈɔɹ/
fixed phrase
Tense relations without fighting
A time when countries are unfriendly and compete but do not fight directly with weapons.
Exemples
- The Cold War dominated global politics for decades.
- They are in a cold war over trade policies.
make war (on/against) [someone/something]
1/mˈeɪk wˈɔɹ ənəɡˈeɪnst sˈoʊmˈoʊnsəmˈɛθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
Start fighting against someone
To start fighting in a war with someone.
Exemples
- They made war on their neighbors over land disputes.
- The tribe made war against the invaders.
wage war (on/against) [something]
1/wˈeɪd͡ʒ wˈɔɹ ənəɡˈeɪnst sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
Fight strongly against something bad
To work hard for a long time to stop something bad.
Exemples
- The activists are waging war against pollution.
- He has waged war on corruption all his life.
war on [something]
1/wˈɔɹ ˈɔn sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
Campaign to stop something bad
An organized plan to fight something harmful.
Exemples
- The government has declared a war on poverty.
- We need to start a war on climate change.