dirty war

English

Etymology

Calque of Spanish guerra sucia

Noun

dirty war (plural dirty wars)

1. (historical) A conflict (particularly one in South America) between a dictatorship against leftist revolutionaries or activists, typically characterized by extrajudicial repression like kidnapping, torture and enforced disappearance.

Translations

conflict characterized by extrajudicial repression

• French: guerre sale f
• Spanish: guerra sucia f