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.
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.
a fight between large armed forces; military or naval engagement; combat
conflict; contention; struggle
his battle for recognition
to start fighting
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, 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.
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
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English batailen, from Middle French bataillier “to provide with batailles; see battlement
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.
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The battle deepens the thorny debate within the administration over Chinese technology.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
Los Angeles is one of many cities across the nation fighting an epic battle to solve a multibillion-dollar problem buried underground.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
In 1867, an 8-year-old girl named Elizabeth Turner became the epicenter of a legal battle that would help define what freedom really meant after the Civil War.
From Slate ● Jul. 25, 2026
The battle over Warner Bros. began last year, when media giants Netflix and Paramount went to war over the famed movie studio and its prized back catalog.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
I battle with myself for the rest of the sun—this is madness; this is survival.
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
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
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
Regina Hall, 55, is an actress known for the films “Scary Movie” and four of its sequels, “Support the Girls” and “One Battle After Another.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
It marks the 110th anniversary of the Battle of Delville Wood in Longueval, northern France, where several hundred South Africans were killed.
From Barron's ● Jul. 11, 2026
“O.K., you sing ‘Dixie’ and I’ll sing ‘The Battle Hymn of the Republic.’
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
Despite their battles, Littler has won the past nine encounters between the pair, with Price's last success in their opening meeting of 2026.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
After the labor battles of the Vietnam War era, Valdez took El Teatro Campesino’s mission nationwide.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
It's the start of the summer holidays and you've already had five battles with your child to get them to eat a bit of broccoli.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
Here are the battles that will shape the game:
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
After court battles stretching back to 1954, a federal district judge in 1970 issued a desegregation plan for the city.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
The new blaze spread as hundreds of firefighters battled a major wildfire that has devastated 32,000 hectares about 100 kilometres north of Madrid.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
In my case, I battled the weeds in my lawn for years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
Residents were evacuated from the area while more than 100 firefighters battled to contain and extinguish the fire, which started near Ryvoan Bothy, south of Nethy Bridge, on Wednesday.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
There was a lull in the South Africa scoring as Wales battled to hang on and the hosts proved unusually wasteful in the tourists' 22.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
She had battled so long to get to Zimbabwe, one more obstacle was more than she could take.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
All the drivers were battling with a Hungaroring track surface that was breaking up, especially in the final two corners, where Norris said it was especially difficult to judge the grip level.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
The major fires have been burning for two or three days, with many hundreds of firefighters battling them around the clock, to the point of exhaustion.
From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026
The Oscar nominee died in 2020 at 43 years old after privately battling colon cancer for four years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
Here, BBC Scotland takes a look at some of the biggest names battling it out in the upcoming Commonwealth Games.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
When he was halfway down into the shack, Owen paused to take one last look at the battling polar bears.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
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.
