War involves prolonged armed hostilities, typically between nations or factions, where there is a declared objective, often political or territorial in nature. Conflict, on the other hand, refers to any form of disagreement, opposition, or clash, which can be violent or non-violent in nature.

War and conflict are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same thing. While war is a large-scale and organized military conflict between nations or groups, conflict refers to a wider range of disputes, including those between individuals, communities, or nations.

"War" is a prolonged, organized, large-scale armed conflict between states or groups, while "conflict" is a broader term for any disagreement or clash, which can be physical, emotional, or ideological.

The main difference between a war and a conflict is that a war is declared by all its opponents, whereas a conflict is an opposition that is not officially recognized by all its actors. Oftenly, a conflict can develop into an armed conflict, and then into a war.

[a]ll war is conflict, yet not all conflict is termed war, with the spectrum extending from ‘no conflict’ situations – like humanitarian relief – up to and including ‘total war’ between states.