battalion

American  

[buh-tal-yuhn] / bəˈtæl jən /

noun

• battalions
  plural

1. Military. a ground force unit composed of a headquarters and two or more companies or similar units.

2. an army in battle array.

3. Often battalions. a large number of persons or things; force.

   battalions of bureaucrats.

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battalion British  

/ bəˈtæljən /

noun

1. a military unit comprised of three or more companies or formations of similar size

2. (usually plural) any large array

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• subbattalion
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• battalions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of battalion

1580–90; < Middle French bataillon < Italian battaglione large squadron of soldiers, equivalent to battagli ( a ) battalia ( def. ) + -one augmentative suffix

Explanation

A battalion is a unit of an army. One battalion usually consists of three or more companies and a headquarters. The word battalion sounds a lot like battle, and that's a clue to its meaning: battalions are groups engaged in a battle. Specifically, a battalion is a smaller segment of an army. Within a battalion, there will usually be a headquarters, as well as a few smaller units, which are called companies. The members of a battalion will work closely together, whether they are attacking an enemy or defending a base. Veterans always remember the other soldiers in their battalion.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

battalion battalions

A battalion chief ordered crews to remove the hose anyway, The Times reported in October 2025.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

His battalion crossed over to France in June 1944 in the days following D-Day and Turrell landed on Sword Beach before taking part in fierce fighting.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

The commander of one battalion is offering troops who sign up for more years of service four days off for the November 19 launch of the highly anticipated video game.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

Days later, the Pentagon said 5,000 U.S. soldiers would leave by year-end and that the U.S. would no longer be sending a battalion equipped with conventional long-range missiles to deter Russia, as agreed in 2024.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026

And these were monsters, rearing to the sky, massed like a battalion, too beautiful I thought, too powerful, they were not plants at all.

From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier

More than that, the relationship of the new Section 122 tariffs with existing trade agreements requires sorting out, with battalions of lawyers and consultants ready to provide high-priced advice on the rapidly changing environment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 23, 2026

The UK military has an agreement with Kenya under which it can deploy up to six army battalions a year for periods of training at the site.

From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2025

The remaining two battalions were operating at a “medium level,” the military said.

From New York Times ● Jun. 17, 2024

Over the weekend, there were further indications from senior Israeli generals that plans were being finalised for a major operation in Rafah, where the military says Hamas's remaining battalions and leaders are based.

From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2024

In early March, General William Westmoreland, commander of American forces in Vietnam, requested that two battalions of marines be sent to Vietnam to help guard the American airfield at Da Nang in central Vietnam.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• army
• contingent
• corps
• legion
• squadron
• unit