economic warfare en · NOUN
Etymology
From economic + warfare.
Meanings
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(uncountable) The strategic use of economic measures (such as sanctions, embargoes, tariffs, or the freezing of assets) to weaken the economy of another state, often to achieve political or military objectives.
Some of Mr. Trump’s other advisers shared similar views in private, dismissing warnings that — the second time around — Iran might wage economic warfare by closing shipping lanes carrying roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil supply.
2026 March 11, Mark Mazzetti, Tyler Pager, Edward Wong, “How Trump and His Advisers Miscalculated Iran’s Response to War”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 11 Mar 2026:The government shifted from kinetic operations to economic warfare to pressure the regime without deploying troops.
Relateds
trade war · sanction · soft power
Translations (11)
ka ეკონომიკური ომი (use of economic measures to weaken another state) · cmn 经济战 (use of economic measures to weaken another state) · ru экономи́ческая война́ (use of economic measures to weaken another state) · ja 経済戦 (use of economic measures to weaken another state) · nl economische oorlogsvoering (use of economic measures to weaken another state) · de Wirtschaftskrieg (use of economic measures to weaken another state) · fr guerre économique (use of economic measures to weaken another state) · sv ekonomisk krigföring (use of economic measures to weaken another state) · cmn 經濟戰 /经济战 (use of economic measures to weaken another state) · es guerra económica (use of economic measures to weaken another state) · fi taloudellinen sodankäynti (use of economic measures to weaken another state)