battle
noun
a hostile encounter or engagement between opposing military forces.
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:
That incident, the most prominent interaction of prediction markets and a U.S. election to date, revealed a new dynamic in the battle for public trust in elections.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
It is the battle of living in this country to try to hold these two truths in one’s mind simultaneously.
From Slate ● Aug. 12, 2026
Chandrasekaran's resignation, which comes days ahead of Tata Sons' annual general meeting, points to tensions that have been playing out for months after a boardroom power battle erupted between trustees.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Firefighters were in an all-out battle to control the flames in East Java's Bromo park.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
“Eat it, Champlain Classic,” I say, chucking it back, and then it’s a tiny-wood-piece-chucking battle for like five minutes before I can get everyone focused again on the topic at hand: “So, coyotes.”
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
George Osborn, journalist and author of Power Play: Video Games, Politics and the Battle for Global Influence, said it was still an "appealing" financial opportunity to PIF, external despite the enormous price tag.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
It is the first time the artefact, which depicts events leading up to the Battle of Hastings and Norman Conquest of England in 1066, has returned to the UK in more than 900 years.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
This is estimable, but Mr. Westad—with the Battle of the Somme in mind—suggests that there is an even higher morality that might require concessions on those very issues to keep the peace.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
A thick early morning marine layer on Saturday in Huntington Beach left players, coaches and fans arriving for the Battle at the Beach seven-on-seven passing tournament feeling cool and energized.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
During that turbulent final week of July 1943, William Faulkner was on the other side of the world in Hollywood, California, feverishly pulling together the screenplay for the sweeping wartime movie Battle Cry.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
Too pure for endless battles over a damn chair.
From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2026
Ugly accusations often fly in custody battles, but these aren’t the first against Miller.
From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2026
That victory at the Supersport World Championship in March saw orders for ZXMoto's two-wheelers skyrocket and provided a boost for the firm as it battles for an edge in the highly competitive Chinese motorbike market.
From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026
Resurrection’s battles read like a history of modern-day Latino politics in Los Angeles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
Major battles of the Revolution, with symbols indicating which were won by American or British forces and which resulted in outcomes that were not so clear, are shown on this map.
From "George Washington, Spymaster" by Thomas B. Allen
But Rafaela battled back from a 0-2 count.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 2026
Reile battled WSI for six months to get a $150 cushion for his wheelchair, he says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
Hundreds of Turkish firefighters battled on Thursday to contain wind-fuelled wildfires spreading near key tourist regions on the country's Mediterranean coast.
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
Hundreds of firefighters battled a blaze near Valpaços in northern Portugal that has torn through 15,000 hectares including vineyards and olive groves, news agency Lusa reported, citing officials.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
About eighty feet to Piper’s right, Jason battled Otis, sword against spear.
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
Firefighters were battling wildfires Saturday in Burbank and Santa Clarita.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026
Their deaths followed those of three firefighters who died last week while battling separate wildfires in Crete and the Peloponnese.
From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026
Meanwhile, across the pond, Europeans are battling their own record-breaking wildfires in the U.K.,
From Salon ● Aug. 3, 2026
Despite facing above-target inflation, the Bank of Japan has been careful about raising interest rates after decades of battling the opposite risk: deflation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
She considered, pride and common sense battling across her face.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
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.
