state of war

noun

a legal state created by a declaration of war and ended by official declaration during which the international rules of war apply

-

war was declared in November but actual fighting did not begin until the following spring

• Syn: ↑war

• Ant: ↑peace (for: ↑war)

• Derivationally related forms: ↑war (for: ↑war)

• Topics: ↑war, ↑warfare

• Hypernyms: ↑hostility, ↑enmity, ↑antagonism

• Hyponyms: ↑proxy war

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1.

a. : a state characterized by the actual existence of open armed hostilities (as between nations) regardless of a formal declaration of war by any party to the conflict

b. : a legal state that comes into being by formal declaration regardless of whether open armed hostilities have taken place, must be officially proclaimed at an end by a similar declaration, and is usually characterized by such conditions that the rights and duties of belligerents and neutrals to act under the rules of international law applicable to war arise

2. : the period of time during which a state of war is in effect

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1. a condition marked by armed conflict between or among states, existing whether or not war has been declared formally by any of the belligerents.

2. a legal condition initiated and concluded by formal declaration, and not necessarily involving armed conflict.

3. the duration of such a condition.

[1945-50]

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a situation when war has been declared or is in progress