A world war is a war affecting most of the world's most powerful and populous countries. World wars span multiple countries on multiple continents, with battles fought in multiple theaters.
The term is usually applied to the two conflicts of unprecedented scale that occurred during the 20th century: World War I (1914–1918) and World War II (1939–1945). However, it is also sometimes applied to earlier wars and to a hypothetical future war.
Read more about World War: Origins of The Term, World Wars Before The 20th Century, World Wars of The 20th Century, Later World Wars
Famous quotes containing the words world and/or war:
“Science in the modern world has many uses; its chief use, however, is to provide long words to cover the errors of the rich.”
—Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874–1936)
“In peace the sons bury their fathers, but in war the fathers bury their sons.”
—Croesus (d. c. 560 B.C.)