Phrase guide

war game

noun · verb · 4 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A simulation (by whatever means, physical or digital), for training and strategy purposes, of a military operation involving two or more opposing forces using rules, data, and procedures designed to depict an actual or assumed real-life situation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: government, military, politics, war

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: military exercise, training exercise

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A game, for entertainment or edutainment purposes, that simulates or represents a military operation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To run a military simulation of this kind.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a simulation of a military operation intended to train military commanders or to demonstrate a situation or to test a proposed strategy

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: simulation

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

35 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: لُعْبَة حَرْب (luʕbat ḥarb) — military simulation
  • Chinese Mandarin: 軍事演習 /军事演习 (jūnshì yǎnxí) — military simulation
  • Danish: krigsspil — military simulation
  • Danish: militærøvelse — military simulation
  • Finnish: sotaharjoitus — military simulation
  • Finnish: taisteluharjoitus — military simulation
  • Finnish: karttaharjoitus — military simulation
  • Finnish: sotapeli — military simulation
  • French: jeu de guerre — military simulation
  • German: Planspiel — military simulation
  • German: Planübung — military simulation
  • German: Militärübung — military simulation
  • German: Gefechtsübung — military simulation
  • German: Gefechtssimulation — military simulation
  • German: Manöver — military simulation
  • German: Militärmanöver — military simulation
  • German: Kriegsspiel — military simulation
  • Hungarian: hadgyakorlat — military simulation
  • Japanese: 軍事演習 (gunji enshū) — military simulation
  • Japanese: ウォーゲーム (wōgēmu) — military simulation
  • Norwegian Bokmål: militærøvelse — military simulation
  • Norwegian Bokmål: militærøving — military simulation
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: militærøving — military simulation
  • Polish: ćwiczenia wojskowe — military simulation
  • Russian: вое́нные уче́ния (vojénnyje učénija) — military simulation
  • Russian: войсковы́е манёвры (vojskovýje manjóvry) — military simulation
  • Russian: вое́нные и́гры (vojénnyje ígry) — military simulation
  • Spanish: simulacro de guerra — military simulation
  • Spanish: juego de guerra — military simulation
  • Swedish: militärövning — military simulation
  • Chinese Mandarin: 戰爭遊戲 /战争游戏 (zhànzhēngyóuxì) — game
  • German: Kriegsspiel — game
  • Hungarian: hadijáték — game
  • Polish: gra wojenna — game
  • Swedish: krigsspel — game