noun · 2 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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General-American:/ˈwɔɹlɔɹd/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈwɔːlɔːd/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:W AO1 R L AO2 R D
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A military commander or bandit leader wielding civilian power in an area where the government is weak.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
supreme military leader exercising civil power in a region especially one accountable to nobody when the central government is weak
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: military leader
History
Etymology
From war + lord.
Across languages
Translations
60 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
أَمِير حَرْب
(ʔamīr ḥarb)
— high military officer in a warlike nation
Bulgarian:
военачалник
(voenačalnik)
— high military officer in a warlike nation
Catalan:
senyor de la guerra
— high military officer in a warlike nation
Chinese Mandarin:
軍閥 /军阀
(jūnfá)
— high military officer in a warlike nation
Chinese Mandarin:
督軍 /督军
(dūjūn)
— high military officer in a warlike nation
Chinese Mandarin:
將軍 /将军
(jiāngjun)
— high military officer in a warlike nation
Danish:
krigsherre
— high military officer in a warlike nation
Dutch:
krijgsheer
— high military officer in a warlike nation
Estonian:
sõjapealik
— high military officer in a warlike nation
Finnish:
sotapäällikkö
— high military officer in a warlike nation
French:
seigneur de guerre
— high military officer in a warlike nation
German:
Kriegsherr
— high military officer in a warlike nation
Greek:
πολέμαρχος
(polémarchos)
— high military officer in a warlike nation
Hungarian:
hadúr
— high military officer in a warlike nation
Irish:
taoiseach cogaidh
— high military officer in a warlike nation
Italian:
signore della guerra
— high military officer in a warlike nation
Japanese:
将軍
(shōgun)
— high military officer in a warlike nation
Khmer:
ស្ដេចត្រាញ់
(sdach trañ)
— high military officer in a warlike nation
Khmer:
ស្ដេចសឹក
(sdach sək)
— high military officer in a warlike nation
Korean:
장군
(janggun)
— high military officer in a warlike nation
Macedonian:
војсководец
(vojskovodec)
— high military officer in a warlike nation
Occitan:
senhor de la guèrra
— high military officer in a warlike nation
Portuguese:
senhor da guerra
— high military officer in a warlike nation
Russian:
главнокома́ндующий
(glavnokomándujuščij)
— high military officer in a warlike nation
Russian:
военача́льник
(vojenačálʹnik)
— high military officer in a warlike nation
Russian:
воево́да
(vojevóda)
— high military officer in a warlike nation
Russian:
полково́дец
(polkovódec)
— high military officer in a warlike nation
Russian:
кома́ндующий
(komándujuščij)
— high military officer in a warlike nation
Serbo-Croatian:
ratni vođa
— high military officer in a warlike nation
Serbo-Croatian:
gospodar rata
— high military officer in a warlike nation
Serbo-Croatian:
vojskovođa
— high military officer in a warlike nation
Serbo-Croatian:
војсковођа
— high military officer in a warlike nation
Spanish:
señor de la guerra
— high military officer in a warlike nation
Spanish:
caudillo
— high military officer in a warlike nation
Swedish:
krigsherre
— high military officer in a warlike nation
Turkish:
komutan
— high military officer in a warlike nation
Welsh:
cadlywydd
— high military officer in a warlike nation
Chinese Mandarin:
軍閥 /军阀
(jūnfá)
— local ruler or bandit leader where the government is weak
Chinese Mandarin:
督軍 /督军
(dūjūn)
— local ruler or bandit leader where the government is weak
Danish:
krigsherre
— local ruler or bandit leader where the government is weak
Finnish:
sotaherra
— local ruler or bandit leader where the government is weak
French:
seigneur de la guerre
— local ruler or bandit leader where the government is weak
German:
Kriegsherr
— local ruler or bandit leader where the government is weak
German:
Warlord
— local ruler or bandit leader where the government is weak
Hungarian:
hadúr
— local ruler or bandit leader where the government is weak
Irish:
taoiseach cogaidh
— local ruler or bandit leader where the government is weak
Italian:
signore della guerra
— local ruler or bandit leader where the government is weak
Khmer:
ស្ដេចត្រាញ់
(sdach trañ)
— local ruler or bandit leader where the government is weak
Khmer:
ស្ដេចសឹក
(sdach sək)
— local ruler or bandit leader where the government is weak
Korean:
군벌
(gunbeol)
— local ruler or bandit leader where the government is weak
Occitan:
senhor de la guèrra
— local ruler or bandit leader where the government is weak
Polish:
watażka
— local ruler or bandit leader where the government is weak
Portuguese:
caudilho
— local ruler or bandit leader where the government is weak
Portuguese:
senhor da guerra
— local ruler or bandit leader where the government is weak
Russian:
полево́й команди́р
(polevój komandír)
— local ruler or bandit leader where the government is weak
Russian:
милитари́ст
(militaríst)
— local ruler or bandit leader where the government is weak
Spanish:
señor de la guerra
— local ruler or bandit leader where the government is weak
Spanish:
caudillo
— local ruler or bandit leader where the government is weak
Swedish:
krigsherre
— local ruler or bandit leader where the government is weak
Welsh:
cadlywydd
— local ruler or bandit leader where the government is weak
