{
    "term": "war",
    "partOfSpeech": "noun",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "a2",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "a situation in which two or more countries or groups of people fight against each other over a period of time",
            "sensetop": "war between A and Bwar with somebodywar against somebodywar on somebodyat war",
            "labels": "(formal)(formal)",
            "cefr": "a2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "the Second World War"
                },
                {
                    "text": "the threat of (a) nuclear war"
                },
                {
                    "text": "to **win/lose a/the war**"
                },
                {
                    "text": "the war between England and Scotland",
                    "contextForm": "war between A and B"
                },
                {
                    "text": "England's war with Scotland",
                    "contextForm": "war with somebody"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The war against Spain lasted 18 years.",
                    "contextForm": "war against somebody"
                },
                {
                    "text": "It was the year Britain **declared war** on Germany.",
                    "contextForm": "war on somebody"
                },
                {
                    "text": "In the Middle Ages England **waged war** on France."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He returned home to the US at **the end of the war**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Social and political problems led to **the outbreak** *(= the beginning)* **of war**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Where were you living when **war broke out**?"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The government does not want to **go to war** *(= start a war)* unless all other alternatives have failed."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The two countries **fought a** short but bloody **war**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "My grandfather **fought in the war**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Her husband was killed during the war."
                },
                {
                    "text": "How long have they been at war?",
                    "contextForm": "at war"
                },
                {
                    "text": "a **war hero/veteran**"
                },
                {
                    "text": "More troops are being despatched to the **war zone**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "the **theatre of war** *(= the area in which fighting takes place)*"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Both candidates have distinguished war records."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Congress has made a formal declaration of war."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Every available resource went towards the war effort."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He took part in the Vietnam War."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He was wounded twice during the course of the war."
                },
                {
                    "text": "In times of war, troops were billeted in the mill."
                },
                {
                    "text": "My grandfather fought in the Korean War."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Six years of total war had left no citizen untouched."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The Spartans were persuaded to make war on Athens."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The US declared war on Japan."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The United States entered the war in 1917."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The country has long been a theatre/​theater of war."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The country was now in a state of war."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The country went to war in 1914."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The crisis took Europe to the brink of war."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The outcome of the war was far from certain."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The terrorists were charged with waging war against the state."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The war raged for nearly two years."
                },
                {
                    "text": "These aircraft are designed to take troops and weapons to any theatre of war in the shortest time possible."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Unexploded mines were a big danger to civilians in the aftermath of the war."
                },
                {
                    "text": "a country at war"
                },
                {
                    "text": "a war of liberation"
                },
                {
                    "text": "critiques of the mainstream media's war coverage"
                },
                {
                    "text": "killed in war"
                },
                {
                    "text": "talks to prevent the war from escalating"
                },
                {
                    "text": "the Greek war for independence"
                },
                {
                    "text": "the Soviet war machine"
                },
                {
                    "text": "the shortage of food during the war years"
                },
                {
                    "text": "the war against the French"
                },
                {
                    "text": "the war correspondent of a daily newspaper"
                },
                {
                    "text": "war between Iran and Iraq"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The USA declared war on Germany in 1917."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The two countries were at war for eight years."
                },
                {
                    "text": "When war broke out he became separated from his family."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["War and conflict"],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["long", "short", "impending"],
                "verb + war": ["be in", "fight in", "fight"],
                "war + verb": ["approach", "loom", "threaten"],
                "war + noun": ["years", "hero", "veteran"],
                "preposition": ["at war", "between the wars", "in (a/​the) war"],
                "phrases": [
                    "the aftermath of the war",
                    "the brink of war",
                    "the course of a/​the war"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "a situation in which there is aggressive competition between groups, companies, countries, etc.",
            "sensetop": "war with somebodywar against/on somebody",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The US threatened a **trade war** with Europe after the breakdown of the talks.",
                    "contextForm": "war with somebody"
                },
                {
                    "text": "They launched a trade war against France.",
                    "contextForm": "war against/on somebody"
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["long", "short", "impending"],
                "verb + war": ["be in", "fight in", "fight"],
                "war + verb": ["approach", "loom", "threaten"],
                "war + noun": ["years", "hero", "veteran"],
                "preposition": ["at war", "between the wars", "in (a/​the) war"],
                "phrases": [
                    "the aftermath of the war",
                    "the brink of war",
                    "the course of a/​the war"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "a fight or an effort over a long period of time to get rid of or stop something unpleasant",
            "sensetop": "war on somebody/somethingwar against somebody/something",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The government **has declared war** on drug dealers.",
                    "contextForm": "war on somebody/something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Our two countries work together in **fighting the war** on terrorism."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We seem to be winning the war against crime.",
                    "contextForm": "war against somebody/something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "a war against drug abuse"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "in some situations any type of behaviour is acceptable to get what you want",
            "labels": "(saying)",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to have been injured in a fight or an accident",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "You look like you've been in the wars—who gave you that black eye?"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "an attempt to defeat your opponents by putting pressure on them so that they lose courage or confidence",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The union has been fighting a war of nerves with the management over pay."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "a bitter argument over a period of time between two or more people or groups",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "the political war of words over tax"
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Opinion and argument"]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/wɔː(r)/",
                "audio": "wa/war/war__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/wɔːr/",
                "audio": "wa/war/war__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "late Old English werre, from an Anglo-Norman French variant of Old French guerre, from a Germanic base shared by worse."
}