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guerra mundial
/ˈɡe.ra munˈdjal/
world war
La Segunda Guerra Mundial comenzó en 1939.
World War II began in 1939.
formal
A war involving many of the world's major nations, typically fought on a global scale.
La Primera Guerra Mundial duró desde 1914 hasta 1918.
World War I lasted from 1914 to 1918.
Estudiamos las causas de la Guerra Fría en clase de historia.
We studied the causes of the Cold War in history class.
The term 'guerra mundial' is used to refer to either of the two major global conflicts of the 20th century (World War I and World War II), or more broadly to any large-scale international conflict.
Collocations
Primera Guerra MundialWorld War ISegunda Guerra MundialWorld War IIestallar una guerra mundialto break out in a world warevitar una guerra mundialto prevent a world war
Synonyms
Antonyms
Pro Tip
Capitalization in historical references
When referring to specific wars, capitalize 'Primera Guerra Mundial' and 'Segunda Guerra Mundial' in Spanish. In English, these are 'World War I' and 'World War II'.
Gold Rule
Context matters
The phrase 'guerra mundial' is almost always used in a historical context. Avoid using it for regional or minor conflicts.
Word Origin
The term 'guerra mundial' combines the Spanish word 'guerra' (war) with 'mundial' (worldwide, global), derived from Latin 'mundus' (world). The phrase emerged in the early 20th century to describe conflicts of unprecedented global scale, particularly after World War I (1914–1918).
Usage Notes
The phrase is always used as a noun phrase and typically refers to major historical conflicts. It is capitalized when referring to specific wars (e.g., 'Primera Guerra Mundial'), but not when used generically.
Word Breakdown
guerra
war
rootmundial
worldwide
adjectiveDiccionario Español-Inglés