different between fight vs warfare

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English fighten, from Old English feohtan (“to fight, combat, strive”), from Proto-West Germanic *fehtan, from Proto-Germanic *fehtan? (“to comb, tease, shear, struggle with”), from Proto-Indo-European *pe?- (“to comb, shear”).

Cognate with Scots fecht (“to fight”), West Frisian fjochtsje, fjuchte (“to fight”), Dutch vechten (“to fight”), Low German fechten (“to fight”), German fechten (“to fight, fence”), Swedish fäkta (“to fence, to fight (using blade weapons), to wave vigorously (and carelessly) with one's arms”), Latin pect? (“comb, thrash”, verb), Albanian pjek (“to hit, strive, fight”), Ancient Greek ???? (pék?, “comb or card wool”, verb). Related also to Old English feht (“wool, shaggy pelt, fleece”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: f?t, IPA^(key): /fa?t/
• (US, Canada) IPA^(key): [f??t]
• Rhymes: -a?t

Verb

fight (third-person singular simple present fights, present participle fighting, simple past fought, past participle fought or (archaic) foughten)

1. (intransitive) To contend in physical conflict, either singly or in war, battle etc.

2. (reciprocal) To contend in physical conflict with each other, either singly or in war, battle etc.

3. (intransitive) To strive for something; to campaign or contend for success.
4. (transitive) To conduct or engage in (battle, warfare etc.).
   • 1856, Thomas Macaulay, Life of Samuel Johnson

     was left to fight his way through the world.

   • I have fought a good fight.

5. (transitive) To engage in combat with; to oppose physically, to contest with.

6. (transitive) To try to overpower; to fiercely counteract.
7. (transitive, archaic) To cause to fight; to manage or manoeuvre in a fight.

8. (intransitive) Of colours or other design elements: to clash; to fail to harmonize.

Conjugation

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:fight

Derived terms

Descendants

• Sranan Tongo: feti

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English fight, feyght, fi?t, fecht, from Old English feoht, ?efeoht, from Proto-West Germanic *fehtan, from Proto-Germanic *feht?, *gafeht? (“fight, struggle”), from Proto-Germanic *fehtan? (“to struggle with”). Cognate with Dutch gevecht, German Gefecht.

Noun

fight (countable and uncountable, plural fights)

1. An occasion of fighting.

2. (archaic) A battle between opposing armies.
3. A physical confrontation or combat between two or more people or groups.

4. (sports) A boxing or martial arts match.

5. A conflict, possibly nonphysical, with opposing ideas or forces; strife.

6. (uncountable) The will or ability to fight.

7. (obsolete) A screen for the combatants in ships.
   • 1673, John Dryden, Amboyna

     Up with your fights, and your nettings prepare.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:fight

Derived terms

Descendants

• Sranan Tongo: feti
  • ? Dutch: fittie
• ? Japanese: ???? (faito)

Translations

English

Etymology

Mid 15^thc., Middle English werefare, from Middle English werre (“war”) +? fare (“journey, going”), equivalent to war +? fare.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?w??f??/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?w??f??/
• Hyphenation: war?fare

Noun

warfare (usually uncountable, plural warfares)

1. The waging of war or armed conflict against an enemy.

   • The Philistines gathered their armies together for warfare, to fight with Israel.

2. Military operations of some particular kind e.g. guerrilla warfare.

Derived terms

Related terms

• war

Translations

Verb

warfare (third-person singular simple present warfares, present participle warfaring, simple past and past participle warfared)

1. To lead a military life; to carry on continual wars.

References

• warfare in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.