The Cold War was termed 'cold' because there was no large-scale fighting directly between the Western Bloc and Eastern Bloc powers.
Notes on verification
Multiple authoritative sources including Britannica and National Geographic explicitly confirm this explanation. The term's origin and meaning are well-documented in academic and educational materials. Corroboration is strong and consistent across independent sources.
Sources
- Outline of the Cold War (wikipedia)
- https://www.britannica.com/event/Cold-War (corroboration)
- https://www.britannica.com/topic/Why-Is-It-Called-the-Cold-War (corroboration)
- https://study.com/academy/lesson/the-cold-war-definition-causes-early-events.html (corroboration)
- https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/cold-war (corroboration)