Wartime

/ˈwɔr.taɪm/ noun

Definition

The period during which a war is being fought between countries or groups.

Etymology

Compound of 'war' (from Old English 'wyrre') and 'time' (from Old English 'tīma'). The term emerged in the 18th century to distinguish the period of active conflict from peacetime.

Kelly Says

The word 'wartime' became especially common during the 20th century's world wars, when entire societies reorganized around the conflict—rationing, blackouts, and propaganda shaped daily life in ways that made the distinction between wartime and peacetime crucial to how people understood their reality.

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