cold war meaning and definition

COLD WAR noun

Definition of cold war (noun)

1. The period of political tension and military rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union, and their respective allies, from the end of World War II until the early 1990s. During this time, there was no actual war between these two superpowers.
   • "The Cold War affected global politics for several decades."
   • "Many of today's political issues have roots in the Cold War era."
2. a state of political hostility between countries using means short of armed warfare
   • antonym: hot war