Clausewitz

American

[klou-zuh-vits] / ˈklaʊ zə vɪts /

noun

Karl von 1780–1831, German military officer and author of books on military science.

Clausewitz British

/ ˈklauzəvɪts /

noun

Karl von (karl fɔn). 1780–1831, Prussian general, noted for his works on military strategy, esp Vom Kriege (1833)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Clausewitz might have enjoyed seeing how this “creative spirit” has evolved in our era.

From Salon • Mar. 25, 2026

The pioneering military theorist Carl von Clausewitz categorized relations in a country as military, societal and political, each having its distinct relationships with the other two.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 1, 2026

The next day, when the delivery arrived at the nearby Clausewitz Barracks, the ammunition was found to be missing.

From BBC • Dec. 2, 2025

We learned from Clausewitz that war is supposed to make sense in the context of a political objective.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 10, 2023

The topics are war and Clausewitz, and we have a number of connectives, like however and yet.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023