battle royale

Also last man stand·ing

[bat-l roi-al]

noun

plural

battle royales, battles royale 

1. a fight, often to the death, in which more than two combatants are engaged and the victor is the last surviving participant.

2. battle royal.

adjective

1. of or relating to a genre of fiction, television show, movie, or video game that features this kind of elimination fight to the death: a battle royale movie trilogy set in a dystopian future.

   battle royale FPS games;

   a battle royale movie trilogy set in a dystopian future.

Word History and Origins

Origin of battle royale¹

First recorded in 1830–40; originally a variant spelling of battle royal ( def. )

Example Sentences

The shooting and building game has multiple game modes, with its online battle royale its most popular feature.

From BBC

There was the part of me that was slightly skeptical seeing a logline that leaned on two of the biggest Asian-led shows ever, but the part of me that grew up on a steady diet of chanbara is excited by the idea of a battle royale with samurai — and that part has completely won out.

From Los Angeles Times

But its online battle royale is by far its most popular feature, where up to 100 players compete to be the last one standing.

From BBC

Blaming the fall of a republic on a blockade instead of a dad-versus-son battle royale is like making the Millennium Falcon slow down for speed bumps.

From Los Angeles Times

Compensating for all that is the regular reminder that a battle royale is brewing between the title character, played by a 6’3” actor, and a heavy portrayed by a bodybuilder known as the Dutch Giant, a 7-foot, 2-inch tower.

From Salon