Ma'anar ƙamus na "Yaƙin Duniya na Farko" yana nufin rikicin soja na duniya wanda ya faru daga 1914 zuwa 1918, wanda ya ƙunshi yawancin manyan ƙasashe na duniya. An gwabza da farko ne tsakanin kasashen kawance, wadanda suka hada da Faransa, Ingila, da Rasha, da kuma kasashen tsakiya, wadanda suka hada da Jamus, Austria-Hungary, da Daular Ottoman. Yakin dai ya sha fama da yakin basasa, an yi amfani da sabbin makamai kamar gas mai guba da tankokin yaki, da kuma hasarar rayuka a bangarorin biyu. Yaƙin ya ƙare tare da shan kashi na Ƙungiyoyin Tsakiyar Tsakiya da kuma sanya hannu kan yarjejeniyar Versailles a shekara ta 1919, wanda ya sanya wa Jamus hukunci mai tsanani da kuma share fagen yakin duniya na biyu.