war
part of speech
noun (a war, wars; war — uncountable for the idea)
meaning for a pupil
1) A war is a long fight between countries or large groups using soldiers and weapons. tree →
2) A war is also a big struggle against something bad, like «a war on litter». tree →
3) Any long, fierce competition can be called a war, like «a price war». tree →
sense in the lessons
In history lessons wars explain how borders, leaders and lives changed; Remembrance Day, Anzac Day and Veterans Day honour those who fought. Phrases: «go to war», «at war», «the Second World War», «win/lose a war», «after the war», «war and peace».
examples
- The war lasted for six years. tree →
- My great-grandpa fought in the Second World War. tree →
- Many people lost their homes in the war. tree →
- The two countries signed a peace treaty to end the war. tree →
- We wear poppies to remember those who died in wars. tree →
- Our town declared war on litter. tree →
- The shops had a price war. tree →
- They asked him about the war. tree →
note
Countable for a particular war (a war, two wars); uncountable for war in general («War is terrible»). Opposite: peace. «World War II» = «the Second World War». Do not confuse with «wore» (past of wear) in some accents.
In the corpora
- The news on TV, the radio and phones shows real things: wars, earthquakes, floods, fires and accidents.
- Wars can end: peace treaties have been signed, and countries that once fought each other are friends now.
- Banksy is a British street artist whose name and face are kept secret; his stencils often joke about war, money and power.
- When the war blocked ships from Ukraine in 2022, grain and bread prices rose in many countries.
- Ukraine uses a red poppy with a black centre to remember the dead of the Second World War.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «war» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.