battalion
Americannoun
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Military. a ground force unit composed of a headquarters and two or more companies or similar units.
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an army in battle array.
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Often battalions. a large number of persons or things; force.
battalions of bureaucrats.
noun
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a military unit comprised of three or more companies or formations of similar size
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(usually plural) any large array
Other Word Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing battalion
Chains
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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.
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
A well-regarded battalion commander in Yemen’s armed forces, Ashaal, then 42, worked a sideline in real estate with a partner.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who visited the area on Wednesday night, said President Bola Tinubu had approved the immediate deployment of an army battalion to respond to the attack.
From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026
The sight of the full battalion brings grins to every passerby.
From Salon • Feb. 5, 2026
A house in the city would be leased, a battalion of servants would be installed, and Lady Constance would be given a generous shopping allowance to boot.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
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.
