preventive war
nounMilitary.
an attack against a presumed enemy to prevent a possible attack by that enemy at a later time: because preventive wars are prompted more by speculation than by clearly imminent danger, they generally are considered unacceptable in international law.
Origin of preventive war
1First recorded in 1630–40
- Compare preemptive strike.
Words Nearby preventive war
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use preventive war in a sentence
George W. Bush successfully pushed preventive war over deterrence, which led to disasters like Iraq.
Hagel Confirmation Fight Was Really About Bush Foreign Policy—and War | Peter Beinart | February 27, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTOthers, again, went so far as to describe our action merely as the starting point of a preventive war against Russia.
preventive war was recommended by General Bernhardi and other illustrious patriots.
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse | Vicente Blasco IbanezUntil the end of the crisis, the idea of a preventive war continually recurred to my mind.
World's War Events, Vol. I | Various
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