war baby

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

An officer owing his position to the need of the time rather than competence.

Register: slang

Where it’s used: Used American English
Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “war baby” mean?

An officer owing his position to the need of the time rather than competence.

Is “war baby” formal or informal?

war baby is generally slang.