battalion
Americannoun
-
Military. a ground force unit composed of a headquarters and two or more companies or similar units.
-
an army in battle array.
-
Often battalions. a large number of persons or things; force.
battalions of bureaucrats.
noun
-
a military unit comprised of three or more companies or formations of similar size
-
(usually plural) any large array
Other Word Forms
- subbattalion noun
Etymology
Origin of battalion
1580–90; < Middle French bataillon < Italian battaglione large squadron of soldiers, equivalent to battagli ( a ) battalia ( def. ) + -one augmentative suffix
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A battalion chief sent to investigate that collision then crashed with a vehicle on the same intersection almost an hour later.
From Los Angeles Times
Italy’s battalion numbers fell by 67% and France’s dropped by almost as much.
At least one battalion chief assigned to the LAFD’s risk management section has known for months that crews had complained about hot spots after the Lachman fire.
From Los Angeles Times
Robertson said his legal team also interviewed an L.A. firefighter who was on the burn scar on the morning of Jan. 2, who said a battalion chief told him to roll up hoses and leave.
From Los Angeles Times
At least one battalion chief assigned to LAFD’s risk management section knew about the complaints for months, The Times found.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
