battle royale

American  

[bat-l roi-al] / ˈbæt l rɔɪˈæl /

Also last man standing

noun

battle royales, plural battles royale plural

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.

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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.

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• battles royale
  plural
• battle royales
  plural

Etymology

Origin of battle royale

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

Example Sentences

This week saw an epic snowstorm on the East Coast, and in New York City, an epic snowball battle royale in Washington Square Park immediately followed.

From Slate • Feb. 28, 2026

"Battlefield" challenges its rival with smaller multiplayer maps than usual and a "battle royale" mode where players eliminate each other one by one, similar to a popular mode found on "Call of Duty".

From Barron's • Nov. 13, 2025

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 • Apr. 23, 2025

Two new comic-sprung series premiere this week in a battle royale for attention.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 18, 2024

He truly wanted to be in his own bed right now or playing an online round of battle royale with Weslee and Steven.

From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young