(DoD) Defined by the President, Secretary of Defense, or the geographic combatant commander, the area of air, land, and water that is, or may become, directly involved in the conduct of major operations and campaigns involving combat. A theater of war does not normally encompass the geographic combatant commander's entire area of responsibility and may contain more than one theater of operations. See also area of responsibility; theater of operations.
Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. 31 January 2011.
| APA | Military Dictionary (DoD). (2011). theater of war. Retrieved September 27, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/theater_of_war/definitions/1964410 |
| Chicago | Military Dictionary (DoD). 2011. "theater of war" http://smartdefine.org/theater_of_war/definitions/1964410 (accessed September 27, 2026). |
| Harvard | Military Dictionary (DoD) 2011, theater of war, Smart Define, viewed 27 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/theater_of_war/definitions/1964410>. |
| MLA | Military Dictionary (DoD). "theater of war" 4 April 2011. Web. 27 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/theater_of_war/definitions/1964410> |