Phrase guide

economic warfare

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

The strategic use of economic measures (such as sanctions, embargoes, tariffs, or the freezing of assets) to weaken the economy of another state, often to achieve political or military objectives.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: economics, government, military, politics, sciences, war

Examples

  • The government shifted from kinetic operations to economic warfare to pressure the regime without deploying troops.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From economic + warfare.

Across languages

Translations

11 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 經濟戰 /经济战 — use of economic measures to weaken another state
  • Chinese Mandarin: 经济战 (jīngjìzhàn) — use of economic measures to weaken another state
  • Dutch: economische oorlogsvoering — use of economic measures to weaken another state
  • Finnish: taloudellinen sodankäynti — use of economic measures to weaken another state
  • French: guerre économique — use of economic measures to weaken another state
  • Georgian: ეკონომიკური ომი (eḳonomiḳuri omi) — use of economic measures to weaken another state
  • German: Wirtschaftskrieg — use of economic measures to weaken another state
  • Japanese: 経済戦 (keizaisen) — use of economic measures to weaken another state
  • Russian: экономи́ческая война́ (ekonomíčeskaja vojná) — use of economic measures to weaken another state
  • Spanish: guerra económica — use of economic measures to weaken another state
  • Swedish: ekonomisk krigföring — use of economic measures to weaken another state