Adjacent Words

cold war definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a state of political hostility between countries using means short of armed warfare [ant: hot war]
2: a state of political hostility that existed from 1945 until 1990 between countries led by the Soviet Union and countries led by the United States

Merriam Webster's

noun Date: 1945 1. a conflict over ideological differences carried on by methods short of sustained overt military action and usually without breaking off diplomatic relations; specifically often capitalized C&W the ideological conflict between the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics during the second half of the 20th century — compare hot war 2. a condition of rivalry, mistrust, and often open hostility short of violence especially between power groups (as labor and management)

Britannica Concise

Open yet restricted rivalry and hostility that developed after World War II between the U.S. and the Soviet Union and their respective allies. The U.S. and Britain, alarmed by the Soviet domination of Eastern Europe, feared the expansion of Soviet power and communism in Western Europe and elsewhere. The Soviets were determined to maintain control of Eastern Europe, in part to safeguard against a possible renewed threat from Germany. The Cold War (the term was first used by B. Baruch during a congressional debate in 1947) was waged mainly on political, economic, and propaganda fronts and had only limited recourse to weapons. It was at its peak in 1948-53 with the Berlin blockade and airlift, the formation of NATO, the victory of the communists in the Chinese civil war, and the Korean War. Another intense stage occurred in 1958-62 with the Cuban missile crisis, which resulted in a weapons buildup by both sides. A period of dé tente in the 1970s was followed by renewed hostility. The Cold War ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

U.S. Military Dictionary

A state of international tension wherein political, economic, technological, sociological, psychological, paramilitary, and military measures short of overt armed conflict involving regular military forces are employed to achieve national objectives.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

also cold war The Cold War was the period of hostility and tension between the Soviet bloc and the Western powers that followed the Second World War. ...the first major crisis of the post-Cold War era. N-PROPER: the N

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

see Cold War