War vs. Fight — What's the Difference?

War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, aggression, destruction, and mortality, using regular or irregular military forces.

Take part in a violent struggle involving the exchange of physical blows or the use of weapons

A state of open, armed, often prolonged conflict carried on between nations, states, or parties.

Struggle to overcome, eliminate, or prevent

The period of such conflict.

A violent confrontation or struggle

The techniques and procedures of war; military science.

To attempt to harm or gain power over an adversary by blows or with weapons.

A condition of active antagonism or contention

(Sports) To engage in a boxing match or other similar contest.

A concerted effort or campaign to combat or put an end to something considered injurious

To engage in a quarrel; argue

To wage or carry on warfare.

To strive vigorously and resolutely, as in trying to overcome something; contend

To be in a state of hostility or rivalry; contend.

To contend with or oppose with violence or in battle.

(uncountable) Organized, large-scale, armed conflict between countries or between national, ethnic, or other sizeable groups, usually but not always involving active engagement of military forces.

To wage or carry on (a battle).

(countable) A particular conflict of this kind.

To contend for, as by combat

Protracted armed conflict against irregular forces, particularly groups considered terrorists.

(Sports) To take part in a boxing match or other similar contest with (an opponent).

Protracted conflict, particularly

To participate in (a boxing match or other similar contest).

Campaigns against various social problems.

To cause (a boxer or other contestant) to fight in a match.

(business) A protracted instance of fierce competition in trade.

To contend with or struggle against

(crime) A prolonged conflict between two groups of organized criminals, usually over organizational or territorial control.

To try to prevent the development or success of

(Internet) An argument between two or more people with opposing opinions on a topic or issue.

To try to extinguish (an uncontrolled fire).

An assembly of weapons; instruments of war.

To make (one's way) by struggle or striving

(obsolete) Armed forces.

A confrontation between opposing groups in which each attempts to harm or gain power over the other, as with bodily force or weapons.

Any of a family of card games where all cards are dealt at the beginning of play and players attempt to capture them all, typically involving no skill and only serving to kill time.

A physical conflict between two or more individuals.

(intransitive) To engage in conflict (may be followed by "with" to specify the foe).

A boxing match.

(transitive) To carry on, as a contest; to wage.

A contest in kickboxing, any of the mixed martial arts, or a similar sport.

Ware; aware.

A quarrel or conflict

A contest between nations or states, carried on by force, whether for defence, for revenging insults and redressing wrongs, for the extension of commerce, for the acquisition of territory, for obtaining and establishing the superiority and dominion of one over the other, or for any other purpose; armed conflict of sovereign powers; declared and open hostilities.

A struggle to achieve an objective

A condition of belligerency to be maintained by physical force. In this sense, levying war against the sovereign authority is treason.

The power or inclination to fight; pugnacity

Instruments of war.

(intransitive) To contend in physical conflict, either singly or in war, battle etc.

Forces; army.

(reciprocal) To contend in physical conflict with each other, either singly or in war, battle etc.

The profession of arms; the art of war.

(intransitive) To strive for something; to campaign or contend for success.

A state of opposition or contest; an act of opposition; an inimical contest, act, or action; enmity; hostility.

(transitive) To conduct or engage in (battle, warfare etc.).

To make war; to invade or attack a state or nation with force of arms; to carry on hostilities; to be in a state by violence.

(transitive) To engage in combat with; to oppose physically, to contest with.

To contend; to strive violently; to fight.

(transitive) To try to overpower; to fiercely counteract.

To make war upon; to fight.

To cause to fight; to manage or manoeuvre in a fight.

To carry on, as a contest; to wage.

(intransitive) Of colours or other design elements: to clash; to fail to harmonize.

The waging of armed conflict against an enemy;

An occasion of fighting.

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

(archaic) A battle between opposing armies.

An active struggle between competing entities;

A physical confrontation or combat between two or more people or groups.

A concerted campaign to end something that is injurious;

(sports) A boxing or martial arts match.

Make or wage war

A conflict, possibly nonphysical, with opposing ideas or forces; strife.

(uncountable) The will or ability to fight.

(obsolete) A screen for the combatants in ships; an arming.

To strive or contened for victory, with armies or in single combat; to attempt to defeat, subdue, or destroy an enemy, either by blows or weapons; to contend in arms; - followed by with or against.

To act in opposition to anything; to struggle against; to contend; to strive; to make resistance.

To carry on, or wage, as a conflict, or battle; to win or gain by struggle, as one's way; to sustain by fighting, as a cause.

To contend with in battle; to war against; as, they fought the enemy in two pitched battles; the sloop fought the frigate for three hours.

To cause to fight; to manage or maneuver in a fight; as, to fight cocks; to fight one's ship.

A battle; an engagement; a contest in arms; a combat; a violent conflict or struggle for victory, between individuals or between armies, ships, or navies, etc.

A struggle or contest of any kind.

Strength or disposition for fighting; pugnacity; as, he has a great deal of fight in him.

A screen for the combatants in ships.

The act of fighting; any contest or struggle;

An intense verbal dispute;

A boxing match;

A hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war;

An aggressive willingness to compete;

Be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight;

Fight against or resist strongly;

Make a strenuous or labored effort;

Exert oneself continuously, vigorously, or obtrusively to gain an end or engage in a crusade for a certain cause or person; be an advocate for;