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• battle
  battle

  noun

  a hostile encounter or engagement between opposing military forces.
• Battle
  Battle

  noun

  a town in SE England, in East Sussex: site of the Battle of Hastings (1066); medieval abbey. Pop: 5190 (2001)

battle

¹ American  

[bat-l] / ˈbæt l /

noun

• battles
  plural

1. a hostile encounter or engagement between opposing military forces.

   the battle of Waterloo.

   Synonyms:

   war, conflict, contest

2. participation in such hostile encounters or engagements.

   wounds received in battle.

   Synonyms:

   combat, warfare

3. a fight between two persons or animals.

   ordering a trial by battle to settle the dispute.

4. any conflict or struggle.

   a battle for control of the Senate.

5. Archaic. a battalion.

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verb (used without object)

battled, battling

1. to engage in battle.

   ready to battle with the enemy.

2. to work very hard or struggle; strive.

   to battle for freedom.

   Synonyms:

   toil

verb (used with object)

battled, battling

1. to fight (a person, army, cause, etc.).

   We battled strong winds and heavy rains in our small boat.

2. to force or accomplish by fighting, struggling, etc..

   He battled his way to the top of his profession.

idioms

1. give / do battle, to enter into conflict; fight.

   He was ready to do battle for his beliefs.

battle ² American  

[bat-l] / ˈbæt l /

verb (used with object)

Archaic.

battled, battling

1. to furnish (a building or wall) with battlements; crenelate.

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battle ¹ British  

/ ˈbætəl /

noun

1. a fight between large armed forces; military or naval engagement; combat

2. conflict; contention; struggle

   his battle for recognition

3. to start fighting

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verb

1. to fight in or as if in military combat; contend (with)

   she battled against cancer

2. to struggle in order to achieve something or arrive somewhere

   he battled through the crowd

3. (intr) to scrape a living, esp by doing odd jobs

Battle ² British  

/ ˈbætəl /

noun

1. a town in SE England, in East Sussex: site of the Battle of Hastings (1066); medieval abbey. Pop: 5190 (2001)

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Battle ³ British  

/ ˈbætəl /

noun

1. Kathleen . born 1948, US opera singer: a coloratura soprano, she made her professional debut in 1972 and sang with New York City's Metropolitan Opera (1977–94)

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battle More Idioms  

1. see half the battle; losing battle; pitched battle.

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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

• battler
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• battles
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

battle Battle battles battled battling

After several hours of noisy confrontation, the Orthodox protesters left, with plans to fight their battle again next Saturday.

From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026

“I never thought I’d be in a battle with a data center,” said Bare.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

For seven weeks last year, it seemed the interminable battle over the seashore had finally come to an end.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

Some 550 firefighters are in the battle against the flames near the eruption of another fire in July that covered 37 square kilometres of land.

From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026

I peered over his shoulder at the battle that was spread across fields and hills as far as my eyes could see.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

The evidence suggests King Harold may have weakened his position well before the Battle of Hastings by supporting the wrong faction during a bitter conflict between two competing popes.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026

President Woodrow Wilson was re-elected the year that pipe was laid, and the Germans attacked the French in the World War I Battle of Verdun, with the death toll topping 700,000.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

The missile is named after the Battle of Khaybar, the 628 campaign in which the Prophet Muhammad’s forces conquered the fortified oasis of Khaybar, then held by Arabian Jews.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 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

Muhammad appears carrying the disassembled lengths of the bed frame, held together like it’s an Enfield 1853 rifle-musket and he’s marching to the Battle of Fredericksburg.

From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali

Patients have used the platforms for decades to detail their battles with insurers and drug companies or promote medical fundraisers on sites like GoFundMe.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026

Too pure for endless battles over a damn chair.

From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2026

If only “HOTD” had put as much effort into honing its characters’ internal battles as it did depicting bloody conflicts across Westeros.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

Ugly accusations often fly in custody battles, but these aren’t the first against Miller.

From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2026

The history we learn is often about dates, battles, famous speeches, and court decisions.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis

So far this summer, firefighters have mainly battled wildfires in rural areas and moorland across the country.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

Water-bombing planes, helicopters and more than 200 firefighters battled for hours to stop the flames spreading across the Halkidiki peninsula, south of the city of Thessaloniki.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

Italian Darderi used a mid-match changeover to enjoy an espresso as he battled to a 4-6 6-3 7-5 win.

From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026

John also battled with the pressures of Hollywood and chronic anxiety, something not openly talked about at that time.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

Plug and I battled through the gumbo mud to the fence line.

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson

She was also battling back from a severe lower back injury that left her almost paralyzed last year.

From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026

He said plans were being drawn up for emergency financial support for fire services battling the spread of wildfires.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

Emergency crews in Montenegro have been battling fires along the coast for several days, while fires were reported near Albania's capital on Thursday.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

Instead it wiped out its quarterly profit and left the ticket reseller battling customers angry about fraudulent tickets and slow refunds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

He spent the remaining thirteen years of his life curing diseases and battling opponents with his customary stubborn ferocity.

From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy

Related Words

• action
• assault
• attack
• bloodshed
• bombing
• campaign
• clash
• combat
• conflict
• crusade
• encounter
• fighting
• hostility
• skirmish
• strife
• struggle
• war
• warfare