What does wartime mean?
Wartime is an English word used chiefly as an adjective for things connected with a period of war: wartime production, wartime restrictions, wartime rationing, or wartime experience. It can also function as a noun, meaning the time during which a war is taking place. The adjective form is much more common in modern usage and is frequently found in discussions of government policy, industry, propaganda, medicine, and civilian life during armed conflict. The word usually carries a serious, often grim or historically weighty tone, although its meaning depends heavily on context. A reference to wartime shortages may describe shortages caused by military conflict, while a phrase such as wartime solidarity can emphasize shared social purpose and national unity. Wartime is distinct from part-time, which concerns employment or activity limited to part of the usual working day. Because wartime combines the fundamental concepts of war and time, it is a useful term whenever a writer needs to identify not merely fighting itself, but the social, political, and economic conditions associated with an armed conflict.
Existing, occurring, or relating to the period of a war.
"The government introduced wartime restrictions on food and fuel."
This is the dominant modern use of the word. It commonly appears before nouns such as production, restrictions, rationing, and propaganda.
The period during which a war is taking place.
"Many families endured hardship throughout the war and the early years after it."
The noun use is less common than the adjective use and is often encountered in historical or literary contexts.
The plural is uncommon; wartime is normally used as an uncountable noun referring to a period of conflict.
"The novel contrasts two wartimes separated by decades."
The word "wartime" compresses an entire national emergency into two simple ideas: war and time.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does wartime come from?
Wartime is an English compound formed from war and time, both of which derive from inherited Germanic roots. The compound became established in the nineteenth century to denote a period of active conflict as distinct from ordinary time. Related English forms such as warfare, warship, and wary share the historical war element, while wartime developed into both an adjective and a noun.
Related word forms
How wartime is actually used
Wartime is generally formal and often carries serious or historically weighty connotations. As an adjective, it is especially common in political, economic, and historical contexts; as a noun, it is less frequent and refers to a period of conflict.
Easily confused with wartime
Part-time describes work or employment that occupies only part of the normal working week, whereas wartime refers to the period of a war.