Dictionary

World War II en · PROPN

Pronunciation

• wûrld wôr to͞o
• (US) audio
• /ˌwɜː(ɹ)ld ˌwɔː(ɹ)ˈtuː/
• (US)
• (UK)

Etymology

From world war + two. The term was used for a hypothetical future war as early as 1819. It was first applied to the war in 1939-45 in an article in Time, dated September 11, 1939.

Meanings

1. (historical) The war from 1939 to 1945 of the Allied forces, including the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, the United States, France, and China, against the Axis Powers, including Germany, Italy, and Japan.
   • If Demandt's essay served as a strident example of the German desire for normalcy, a more subtle example was provided by a brief allohistorical depiction of a Nazi victory in World War II written by German historian Michael Salewski in 1999. 2005 May 23, Gavriel D. Rosenfeld, The World Hitler Never Made: Alternate History and the Memory of Nazism, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 182:
   • Nothing since the beginning of World War II, a year ago last September, has boosted British morale or given them greater courage to fight on as has this brilliant Libyan campaign. 1941 March, Frederick M. Barrows, “The War in Africa”, in Command and General Staff School Military Review, volume XXI, number 80, →OCLC, page 23, column 1:
   • My grandpa fought in World War II He was such a noble dude I can’t even finish school Missed my mom and left too soon 2021 March 26, AJR, “World's Smallest Violin”, in OK Orchestra, US: AJR Productions, BMG Rights Management, →OCLC:
   • The tiny island of Tinian was the launch point for American planes carrying atomic bombs to Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. Now a new runway is being carved from the jungle, just south of World War II ruins inked with mildew. 2023 March 25, Damien Cave, “An Anxious Asia Arms for a War It Hopes to Prevent”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 25 Mar 2023:
   • As students all over the United States knuckle down to learning, the rumble of war drums once more proclaims Mars high man in Europe. Discarding morbid curiosity, every student should consider it vitally necessary to get a general picture of the causes, movements, and possible effects of World War II. The average U. S. citizen's knowledge of World War II will probably decide his role in it. 1939 November 10, “Following The War”, in The Chart, volume I, number 1, Joplin, Missouri: Joplin Junior College, page 4, column 1:

Deriveds

post-World War II

Hyponyms

Great Patriotic War (primarily in a Soviet or Russian context) · War in the Pacific · Eastern Front · Pacific War · European War

Relateds

World War I · World War III · world war · World War IV

Synonyms

WW2 · World War 2 · WWII · Second World War

Translations (112)

nl Tweede Wereldoorlog (war from 1939 to 1945) · tr 2. Dünya Savaşı (war from 1939 to 1945) · id Perang Dunia Kedua (war from 1939 to 1945) · ru Втора́я мирова́я война́ (war from 1939 to 1945) · nv naaki góneʼ yéigo daʼahijoogą́ą́ʼ (war from 1939 to 1945) · ka მეორე მსოფლიო ომი (war from 1939 to 1945) · fr Deuxième Guerre mondiale (war from 1939 to 1945) · ca Segona Guerra Mundial (war from 1939 to 1945) · my ဒုတိယကမ္ဘာစစ် (war from 1939 to 1945) · sq Lufta e Dytë Botërore (war from 1939 to 1945) · sh Други свјетски рат (war from 1939 to 1945) · hi द्वितीय विश्वयुद्ध (war from 1939 to 1945) · ko 제이차 세계 대전 (war from 1939 to 1945) · ug ئىككىنچى دۇنيا ئۇرۇشى (war from 1939 to 1945) · ta இரண்டாம் உலகப் போர் (war from 1939 to 1945) · la secundum bellum mundanum (war from 1939 to 1945) · nb andre verdenskrig (war from 1939 to 1945) · lo ສົງຄາມໂລກຄັ້ງທີສອງ (war from 1939 to 1945) · pl druga wojna światowa (war from 1939 to 1945) · et Teine maailmasõda (war from 1939 to 1945) · hu második világháború (war from 1939 to 1945) · mk II светска војна (war from 1939 to 1945) · uz Иккинчи Жаҳон Уруши (war from 1939 to 1945) · te రెండవ ప్రపంచ యుద్ధము (war from 1939 to 1945) · eo Dua Mondmilito (war from 1939 to 1945) · yi צווייטע וועלט מלחמה (war from 1939 to 1945) · kn ಎರಡನೇ ಮಹಾಯುದ್ಧ (war from 1939 to 1945) · it Seconda guerra mondiale (war from 1939 to 1945) · rsk Друга шветова война (war from 1939 to 1945) · ps دويمه نړېواله جګړه (war from 1939 to 1945) · ur دُوسْری عالَمی جَن٘گ (war from 1939 to 1945) · crh Ekinci Cian cenki (war from 1939 to 1945) · oc Segonda Guèrra Mondiau (war from 1939 to 1945) · cmn 第二次世界大戰 /第二次世界大战 (war from 1939 to 1945) · vi Đệ nhị thế chiến (war from 1939 to 1945) · prs جَنْگِ جَهَانِیِ دُوُم (war from 1939 to 1945) · sl druga svetovna vojna (war from 1939 to 1945) · da 2. verdenskrig (war from 1939 to 1945) · lb Zweete Weltkrich (war from 1939 to 1945) · vi Chiến tranh thế giới thứ hai (war from 1939 to 1945) · th สงครามโลกครั้งที่สอง (war from 1939 to 1945) · tl Ikalawang Digmaang Pandaigdig (war from 1939 to 1945) · sh Drugi svetski rat (war from 1939 to 1945) · fa-ira جَنْگِ جَهانیِ دُوُّم (war from 1939 to 1945) · de Zweiter Weltkrieg (war from 1939 to 1945) · mk Втора светска војна (war from 1939 to 1945) · lv Otrais pasaules karš (war from 1939 to 1945) · ro Al Doilea Război Mondial (war from 1939 to 1945) · mi Pakanga Tuarua o te Ao (war from 1939 to 1945) · is seinni heimsstyrjöldin (war from 1939 to 1945) · sh Drugi svjetski rat (war from 1939 to 1945) · ga Dara Cogadh Domhanda (war from 1939 to 1945) · ja 第二次世界大戦 (war from 1939 to 1945) · cs druhá světová válka (war from 1939 to 1945) · sw Vita Kuu ya Pili ya Dunia (war from 1939 to 1945) · nrf Deuxième Dgèrre Mondiale (war from 1939 to 1945) · he מִלְחֶמֶת הָעוֹלָם הַשְּׁנִיָּה \ מלחמת העולם השנייה (war from 1939 to 1945) · kmr Şerê Cîhanî yê Duyem (war from 1939 to 1945) · sk druhá svetová vojna (war from 1939 to 1945) · be Друга́я сусве́тная вайна́ (war from 1939 to 1945) · fy Twadde Wrâldkriich (war from 1939 to 1945) · sh Други светски рат (war from 1939 to 1945) · pl II wojna światowa (war from 1939 to 1945) · bg вто́ра свето́вна война́ (war from 1939 to 1945) · mn дэлхийн хоёрдугаар дайн (war from 1939 to 1945) · el Β΄ Παγκόσμιος Πόλεμος (war from 1939 to 1945) · uk Дру́га світова́ війна́ (war from 1939 to 1945) · ur جَن٘گِ عَظِیمِ دُوَم (war from 1939 to 1945) · cy yr Ail Ryfel Byd (war from 1939 to 1945) · ia Secunde Guerra Mundial (war from 1939 to 1945) · is heimsstyrjöldin síðari (war from 1939 to 1945) · kk Екінші дүниежүзілік соғыс (war from 1939 to 1945) · pt Segunda Guerra Mundial (war from 1939 to 1945) · uz Ikkinchi Jahon Urushi (war from 1939 to 1945) · da anden verdenskrig (war from 1939 to 1945) · oc Segonda Guèrra Mondiala (war from 1939 to 1945) · vo volakrig telid (war from 1939 to 1945) · is síðari heimsstyrjöldin (war from 1939 to 1945) · mt It-Tieni Gwerra Dinjija (war from 1939 to 1945) · el Δεύτερος Παγκόσμιος Πόλεμος (war from 1939 to 1945) · eu Bigarren Mundu Gerra (war from 1939 to 1945) · oc Dusava Guèrra Mondiala (war from 1939 to 1945) · mr दुसरे विश्व युद्ध (war from 1939 to 1945) · cmn 二戰 /二战 (war from 1939 to 1945) · km សង្គ្រាមលោកលើកទី២ (war from 1939 to 1945) · tg ҷанги ҷаҳонии дувум (war from 1939 to 1945) · hy երկրորդ համաշխարհային պատերազմ (war from 1939 to 1945) · az İkinci Dünya Müharibəsi (war from 1939 to 1945) · af Tweede Wêreldoorlog (war from 1939 to 1945) · bo འཛམ་གླིང་འཁྲུག་ཆེན་གཉིས་པ་ (war from 1939 to 1945) · fr Seconde Guerre mondiale (war from 1939 to 1945) · ceb Ikaduhang Gubat Kalibotanon (war from 1939 to 1945) · ilo Maikadua a Sangalubongan a Gubat (war from 1939 to 1945) · fi toinen maailmansota (war from 1939 to 1945) · tk ikinji jahan urşy (war from 1939 to 1945) · nn andre verdskrigen (war from 1939 to 1945) · ce Шолгӏа дуьненан тӏом (war from 1939 to 1945) · sv andra världskriget (war from 1939 to 1945) · ar الْحَرْبُ الْعَالَمِيَّةُ الثَّانِيَة (war from 1939 to 1945) · tt икенче дөнья сугышы (war from 1939 to 1945) · es Segunda Guerra Mundial (war from 1939 to 1945) · lt Antrasis pasaulinis karas (war from 1939 to 1945) · tr İkinci Dünya Savaşı (war from 1939 to 1945) · la secundum bellum mundiale (war from 1939 to 1945) · ckb جەنگی جیھانی دووەم (war from 1939 to 1945) · ky Экинчи дүйнөлүк согуш (war from 1939 to 1945) · bn দ্বিতীয় বিশ্বযুদ্ধ (war from 1939 to 1945) · ms Perang Dunia Kedua (war from 1939 to 1945) · oc Dusau Guèrra Mondiau (war from 1939 to 1945) · gd Dara Cogadh Mòr (war from 1939 to 1945) · ko 제2차 세계 대전 (war from 1939 to 1945) · gl Segunda Guerra Mundial (war from 1939 to 1945)