Meaning & use
cyberwar
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountable
The use of computer attacks by a country or large group to damage or disrupt another country's systems, especially in a conflict.
Grammar: Usually uncountable; you say 'cyberwar' not 'a cyberwar' unless you mean a specific instance, which is rare.
Patterns
- wage cyberwar
- engage in cyberwar
- cyberwar against a country
- a cyberwar between nations
Experts warn that cyberwar could cripple a nation's power grid.
The two countries are accused of waging cyberwar against each other.
Cyberwar often involves stealing state secrets and disabling networks.
Common combinations
- wage cyberwar
- The rebel group threatened to wage cyberwar on the government.
- cyberwar between countries
- Cyberwar between countries is becoming more common.
- cyberwar tactics
- The military developed new cyberwar tactics.
- a cyberwar attack
- The cyberwar attack targeted financial institutions.
Synonyms and how they differ
- information warfare
- Broader; includes propaganda and psychological operations, not just computer attacks.
- cyber warfare
- Same meaning, but often used as a more formal or two-word variant.
Word family
- cyberwarfare noun
- Another term for cyberwar, often used interchangeably.
- cyberwarrior noun
- A person who engages in cyberwar.
Commonly confused: cyberwar or cyberattack? cyberwar or cybercrime?
cyberwar vs cyberattack
A cyberattack is a single attack; cyberwar is a sustained conflict involving many attacks.
cyberwar vs cybercrime
Cybercrime is illegal activity for profit, not necessarily state-sponsored conflict.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'cyberwar' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Cyberwar refers to large-scale conflict between nations or groups, so 'on the brink of cyberwar' fits. Option An is wrong because a single hack is a cyberattack, not cyberwar. Options C and D are nonsense.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “cyberwar”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.