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.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Pursuing an adaptation of this caliber feels like a losing battle, something a filmmaker does just to prove that they can.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
Gen. Rob Bonta, have asked a judge to issue a temporary restraining order that would prevent Paramount from finalizing its deal as the court battle ramps up.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
She has decided not to go through the ordeal of a court battle against the doctor.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
The German sportswear brand has been locked in a battle with its arch-rival Nike, spending some £50m on their "backyard legends" ad featuring Lamine Yamal, Jude Bellingham and Lionel Messi.
From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026
In the battle that followed, the Santo Antonio, one of the most important ships remaining in the Portuguese fleet, was sunk.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
On July 1, 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme, there were 70,000 casualties.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
A thick early morning marine layer on Saturday in Huntington Beach left players, coaches and fans arriving for the Battle at the Beach seven-on-seven passing tournament feeling cool and energized.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
William amasses a mighty army to fight Harold for the crown, and the two sides meet at the Battle of Hastings.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
Plans to loan it to London had been considered twice before: in 1953 for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and in 1966 for the 900th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
Over the radio, the German people were told that Hitler had been killed at the head of his troops in the heroic Battle of Berlin.
From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Here are the battles that will shape the game:
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
That tension has defined some of the most significant First Amendment battles in American history, including disputes over classified documents, confidential sources and government efforts to identify journalists’ sources.
From Salon ● Jul. 11, 2026
Those two Fed chairs are remembered for their epic battles with the legislative branch.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 11, 2026
In previous legal battles, Harry beat the Mirror Group in court, and the News Group out of court, forcing a settlement, damages, payout and apology.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
Even he, little as he knew of battles, could soon see that the Archenlanders and Narnians had won.
From "The Horse and His Boy" by C.S. Lewis
The fire service battled the flames at the children's care home in Mohammadia, an eastern suburb of Algiers, for at least three hours.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
He battled Stage 3 angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare and aggressive type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
Firefighters covering Devon and Somerset also battled at least four grassland fires on Saturday.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
What’s funny is that as Djokovic has aged and battled, the crowd has really come around.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
I went into the hilariously tiny bathroom and battled my bedhead for a while until everything looked suitably mid-2000s Natalie Portman.
From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green
In Friday’s video, Smith said that she’s been researching charities and foundations to support and included links to GoFundMe pages for children who are battling cancer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026
A firefighter from British Columbia died battling a blaze in Colorado this week.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
With some 850 firefighters battling the flames with the help of specialised Canadair aircraft, authorities are hoping to control the flames during the day, said Paul-Edouard Laurain, spokesman for the regional firefighters.
From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026
Firefighters have been battling to bring the blaze under control over the last two days, with officials describing it as "virulent" and of "exceptional scale".
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
One of the smaller fires had already been doused, and a team of warriors was now battling the main one near the giant tent.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
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.
