battle
noun
a hostile encounter or engagement between opposing military forces.
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Battl.
battle
1 American
[bat-l]
/ ˈbæt l /
noun
-
battles
plural
-
a hostile encounter or engagement between opposing military forces.
the battle of Waterloo.
-
participation in such hostile encounters or engagements.
wounds received in battle.
-
a fight between two persons or animals.
ordering a trial by battle to settle the dispute.
-
any conflict or struggle.
a battle for control of the Senate.
-
Archaic. a battalion.
verb (used without object)
battled,
battling
verb (used with object)
battled,
battling
-
to fight (a person, army, cause, etc.).
We battled strong winds and heavy rains in our small boat.
-
to force or accomplish by fighting, struggling, etc..
He battled his way to the top of his profession.
idioms
battle
2
American
[bat-l]
/ ˈbæt l /
verb (used with object)
Archaic.
battled,
battling
battle
1
British
/ ˈbætəl /
noun
-
a fight between large armed forces; military or naval engagement; combat
-
conflict; contention; struggle
his battle for recognition
-
to start fighting
verb
-
to fight in or as if in military combat; contend (with)
she battled against cancer
-
to struggle in order to achieve something or arrive somewhere
he battled through the crowd
-
(intr) to scrape a living, esp by doing odd jobs
Battle
2
British
/ ˈbætəl /
noun
Battle
3
British
/ ˈbætəl /
noun
battle
More Idioms
Synonym Usage
Battle, action, skirmish mean a conflict between organized armed forces. A battle is a prolonged and general conflict pursued to a definite decision: the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. A skirmish is a slight engagement, often on the periphery of an area of battle: several minor skirmishes. An action can be a battle or a skirmish or can refer to actual fighting or combat: a major military action; action along the border; He saw action in the campaign.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of battle1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English batail(le), batal, from Old French bataille, from Vulgar Latin battālia (unrecorded) for Late Latin battuālia (neuter plural) “gladiatorial exercises,” equivalent to battu(ere) “to strike” + -ālia, neuter plural of -ālis adjective suffix; see also -al 2, bate 2
Origin of battle2
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English batailen, from Middle French bataillier “to provide with batailles; see battlement
Explanation
A battle is an open struggle, usually between two groups — like a baseball championship game or a food fight. The word battle is often used in opposition to war, a series of battles. Perhaps you have heard someone tell you, after winning the first of many dance competitions, "You may have won the battle, but you haven’t won the war!" A battle doesn’t have to occur between two individuals or groups. You may endure an inner battle to cut down on junk food. If you skip those fries for lunch today, then you have won a small battle.
Vocabulary lists containing battle
Superhero Lexicon
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Beowulf vocabulary
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"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act V
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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.
See Examples For:
The Cincinnati Bengals also look more well rounded this season after winning a 20-6 battle in Houston, thanks to an early touchdown of the season contender catch from Ja'Marr Chase.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
The company has threatened to move its Hollywood base from its historic Melrose Avenue lot to Tennessee or Texas should the antitrust battle stretch into October.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026
Gen. Harold G. Moore, who commanded a cavalry unit at the late 1965 Ia Drang battle, fretted how the war was “devastating to the morale and effectiveness of every American unit in combat.”
From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2026
The post of chair of NATO’s military committee, known as CMC, is more of a high-level intermediary with a bully pulpit than battle commander and is held by a non-U.S. figure.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
It means “I came, I saw, I conquered,” and Caesar meant it as a pithy description of a battle, which, in a nutshell, he won.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
Sam Battle, performing as Look Mum No Computer, finished in last place at the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest with one point for his song "Eins, Zwei, Drei"
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
Shifen Fox, whose father was killed during the siege, sets out to rescue its story in “The Battle of Hengyang.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
"It means everything our grandparents, our parents fought for – today is the Battle of Britain," he said.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
The lack of adequate explanation does seem to be a sin of omission by “The Battle to Breathe,” especially given the narrative that leads us to the development of Trikafta.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
In late July, the fighting intensified at the First Battle of Bull Run near Manassas, Virginia.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
Certain people have their own little fiefdoms or specific knowledge of how government bureaucracy works, which gives them a leg up in internecine battles.
From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2026
The site in the southern city of Taranto has been dogged by legal and political battles since 2012 over toxic emissions.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
I used to enjoy the battles in the nets and it made me a better bowler by having competitive nets against one of the best players in the world.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
So she’s this feeling machine that battles against her own programming, but at the end of the day she can’t help her programming.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
In the film, Dr. No, Bond battles a ruthless villain holed up on a Caribbean island with a secret weapon aimed at America.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
White House officials have since regularly battled with other AI executives, who have opposed many regulatory efforts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
He battled Muhammad Ali in 1966 and 1972, and though Chuvalo lost both fights, Ali called him the toughest guy he ever fought.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
In Smith’s first at-bat, he battled for nine pitches, finally lifting a changeup over the left field wall.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Nepali rescue teams battled difficult terrain, an unpredictable river and treacherous marshland on Monday, the sixth day in their search for survivors and victims of devastating floods.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
It did not help his mood any that as he battled to protect the island, he learned of another attack on his beloved Central Park.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
He argued that it fed the dream that it could lead to greater riches for a population that is often battling to make ends meet.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
On Wednesday, the Saudi-led coalition battling the Houthis said the group fired ballistic missiles and drones at several cities in southern Saudi Arabia.
From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026
Two firefighters are being treated for minor injuries they suffered battling a Beverly Hills apartment fire Wednesday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
They set out again the next day, battling leeches and surviving on instant noodles, hiking through the mountains without any luck.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
The fighter planes started firing their guns, and more and more aircraft joined the fray, until there were nine Soviet fighter pilots battling forty Luftwaffe aircraft.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
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.
