War vs. Fighting — 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.

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

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

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

The period of such conflict.

To engage in a quarrel; argue

The techniques and procedures of war; military science.

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

A condition of active antagonism or contention

To contend with or oppose with violence or in battle.

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

To wage or carry on (a battle).

To wage or carry on warfare.

To contend for, as by combat

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

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

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

(countable) A particular conflict of this kind.

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

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

To contend with or struggle against

Protracted conflict, particularly

To try to prevent the development or success of

Campaigns against various social problems.

To try to extinguish (an uncontrolled fire).

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

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

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

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

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

A physical conflict between two or more individuals.

An assembly of weapons; instruments of war.

A boxing match.

(obsolete) Armed forces.

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

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 quarrel or conflict

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

A struggle to achieve an objective

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

The power or inclination to fight; pugnacity

Ware; aware.

Engaged in war or other 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.

Apt to provoke a fight.

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

Present participle of fight

Instruments of war.

The act or process of contending; violence or conflict.

Forces; army.

A fight or battle; an occasion on which people fight

The profession of arms; the art of war.

Qualified for war; fit for battle.

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

Occupied in war; being the scene of a battle; as, a fighting field.

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.

The act of fighting; any contest or struggle;

To contend; to strive violently; to fight.

Engaged in or ready for military or naval operations;

To make war upon; to fight.

Engaged in war;

To carry on, as a contest; to wage.

Disposed to loud disagreements and fighting

The waging of armed conflict against an enemy;

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

An active struggle between competing entities;

A concerted campaign to end something that is injurious;

Make or wage war