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.
The attack prompted Tinubu to order the deployment of a battalion in the remote village.
From Barron's
The sight of the full battalion brings grins to every passerby.
From Salon
Grant Gilchrist survives the challenge of a battalion of second rows, but there are two seriously impressive operators to come off the bench.
From BBC
In October, the South American country unveiled its first drone battalion to counterattack and defend against drone onslaughts.
From Barron's
Lai’s battalion was responsible for security at the entrances and throughout the hallways of the presidential office building.
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.
