Duhaime's Law Dictionary Man of war Definition: A vessel under military (naval or navy) command. A man-of-war is a vessel commanded by a duly commissioned naval officer and manned by a crew under the naval discipline.1 REFERENCES NOTE 1: Published at Part III: Territorial Waters [legislation] 23 Special Number Am. J. Int'l L. Spec. Sup. 243 (1929), at page 377, §2. Categories & Topics: Duhaime & Williams Maritime & Waterways Law Dictionary Duhaime's Military Law Dictionary Always looking up definitions? Save time with our search provider (modern browsers only) If you find an error or omission in Duhaime's Law Dictionary, or if you have suggestion for a legal term, we'd love to hear from you!