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

After the Redlands deputy police chief, the second-highest-paid employee in 2025 was a Los Angeles Fire Department battalion chief, followed by a transmission and distribution supervisor with the L.A.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026

Some have been carried out by the 413th separate battalion "Raid" of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, whose commander, Yevhen Karas, spoke to the BBC from an undisclosed location in Ukraine.

From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026

First responders took 10 people to the hospital, including eight workers and one firefighter, Matt Amos, battalion chief of the Longview Fire Department, said at a press conference.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 2026

And seven decades earlier, Hearts missed out on the 1915 championship, because 13 of its players abruptly left the team: They had enlisted in the Royal Scots battalion to go fight in the Great War.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026

Pale-pink helmets, with rosettes, a whole battalion, onto the beachhead, over the top in pink.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood

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

A nearby truck housed the operations team, which served as an intermediary for radio communications between the command post and fire battalions battling the flames.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 1, 2025

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

Most Hamas battalions have been degraded and are scattered.

From New York Times ● Apr. 22, 2024

Two additional battalions of soldiers plus a machine-gun company stood in readiness outside the city.

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler

Related Words

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