warlord

[ wawr-lawrd ]

noun

1. a military leader, especially of a warlike nation.
2. a military commander who has seized power, especially in one section of a country.
3. tuchun.

warlord

/ ˈwɔːˌlɔːd /

noun

1. a military leader of a nation or part of a nation, esp one who is accountable to nobody when the central government is weak

   the Chinese warlords

Other Words From

• warlordism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of warlord¹

First recorded in 1855–60; war ¹ + lord

Example Sentences

“I’m beyond honored to be here with amazing nominees,” said Sanada, who portrayed the quietly ambitious warlord Yoshii Toranaga, as he accepted the lead drama actor award.

From Los Angeles Times

The country has been divided by power struggles and currently has two governments - a UN-recognised one based in Tripoli, and another in the country's east backed by warlord Gen Khalifa Haftar.

From BBC

Mr. Prigozhin, a caterer turned warlord who grew rich on state contracts, was an unlikely messenger.

From New York Times

“Who’d hire one of the masters of the killing arts to put down a sleazy merchant? Can you imagine a warlord chasing a stray dog?”

From Literature

I sensed that the long-furred one was the warlord of the fortress, while the small one was some kind of underling.

From Literature

Related Words

• assailant
• boxer
• champion
• combatant
• mercenary
• militant
• opponent
• soldier
• tanker
• warrior