battle royal

American  

[bat-l roi-uhl] / ˈbæt l ˈrɔɪ əl /

noun

battle royals, plural battles royal plural

1. a fight in which more than two combatants are engaged.

2. a cockfight in which three, five, or seven fowl are placed simultaneously in the fighting pit to eliminate each other by death or debilitating injury until only the victor remains in fighting condition.

3. Professional Wrestling. a type of wrestling match in which 15 to 30 wrestlers attempt to stay inside the ring while eliminating competitors by throwing them outside of the ropes until only one wrestler remains and is declared the winner.

4. a heated argument.

   After a while the discussion turned into a battle royal.

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battle royal British  

noun

1. a fight, esp with fists or cudgels, involving more than two combatants; melee

2. a long violent argument

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• battles royal
  plural
• battle royals
  plural

Etymology

Origin of battle royal

First recorded in 1665–75 in spelling battail Royal

Example Sentences

It’s a buddy adventure that takes the duo from one tight spot to another, including a gladiator-style battle royal and a cavernous snake pit.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

Naomi Alderman’s new dystopia, ‘The Future,’ finds a new way into the genre she mastered in ‘The Power’: a battle royal of preppers, tech billionaires and cults.

From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2025

What he said is a reminder that legal skirmishes over the particulars of an execution are different from a battle royal over the moral heart of America.

From Slate • Oct. 1, 2024

They may still want to battle royal institutions and the media, but it may turn out that their real battle will be with ongoing relevancy.

From BBC • Dec. 8, 2022

I had some misgivings over the battle royal, by the way.

From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison