battle
noun
a hostile encounter or engagement between opposing military forces.
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battle
1 American
[bat-l]
/ ˈbæt l /
noun
-
battles
plural
-
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.
verb (used without object)
battled,
battling
verb (used with object)
battled,
battling
-
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.
idioms
battle
2
American
[bat-l]
/ ˈbæt l /
verb (used with object)
Archaic.
battled,
battling
battle
1
British
/ ˈbætəl /
noun
-
a fight between large armed forces; military or naval engagement; combat
-
conflict; contention; struggle
his battle for recognition
-
to start fighting
verb
-
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
2
British
/ ˈbætəl /
noun
Battle
3
British
/ ˈbætəl /
noun
battle
More Idioms
Synonym Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of battle1
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
Origin of battle2
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English batailen, from Middle French bataillier “to provide with batailles; see battlement
Explanation
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.
Vocabulary lists containing battle
Superhero Lexicon
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Beowulf vocabulary
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"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act V
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
That victory made the Myanmar native a champion questioned by some, but Van legitimized his reign by prevailing in a grueling battle against Tatsuro Taira last May, stopping his challenger in the final round.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
JSerra converted on three fourth downs in the second half Friday, allowing the Lions to battle back from a seven-point first-half deficit to beat host Bishop Amat 37-28.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
In recent times, it's been the battle between Britain's Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson and the Swiss European champion Audrey Werro that has captivated fans.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
He “wrote a brief note to his new wife, now pregnant with their first child: ‘The battle is getting more merciless by the minute.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
“Eat it, Champlain Classic,” I say, chucking it back, and then it’s a tiny-wood-piece-chucking battle for like five minutes before I can get everyone focused again on the topic at hand: “So, coyotes.”
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
“The Battle of Hengyang” recovers a military struggle and a family history—and part of a nation’s past its rulers ordered its people to forget.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
In the late 1890s, John Harvey Kellogg, the director of a Seventh-day Adventist sanitarium in Battle Creek, Mich., wanted a vegetarian breakfast alternative to the bacon and eggs his clients were accustomed to.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
The region was also the site of the Battle of Jutland, fought off Hanstholm in Northern Jutland.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026
Battle, better known by his stage name Look Mum No Computer, represented the UK at this year's Eurovision Song Contest with the electronic pop song Eins, Zwei, Drei.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
Mr. Lasher had been in World War II and had fought in the Battle of the Bulge.
From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers
Others said they wind up serving foods like chicken nuggets more often than they’d like because they don’t have the bandwidth for nightly battles over meals that picky eaters may or may not eat.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
The site in the southern city of Taranto has been dogged by legal and political battles since 2012 over toxic emissions.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
I used to enjoy the battles in the nets and it made me a better bowler by having competitive nets against one of the best players in the world.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
Let’s celebrate that, even as we gird for more battles to come.
From Slate ● Sep. 15, 2026
Soon they were engaged in air battles just as fierce as those they’d fought the previous summer.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
Family members battled over custody, how children would be raised and who would control the money paid out by insurance policies and victims’ funds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
In Smith’s first at-bat, he battled for nine pitches, finally lifting a changeup over the left field wall.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Harry battled the ministry in the courts after Ravec downgraded his security following his 2020 move.
From Barron's ● Sep. 7, 2026
He is joined in the second round in New York by compatriot Katie Boulter, who battled past American wildcard Carol Young Suh Lee 6-4 3-6 6-0.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
It did not help his mood any that as he battled to protect the island, he learned of another attack on his beloved Central Park.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
As his Bees progressed to the Carabao Cup fourth round with a battling 2-1 win at League One side Reading, Andrews said he was not happy with the officiating.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
On Wednesday, the Saudi-led coalition battling the Houthis said the group fired ballistic missiles and drones at several cities in southern Saudi Arabia.
From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026
They set out again the next day, battling leeches and surviving on instant noodles, hiking through the mountains without any luck.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
Expect a flood of visitors wanting a selfie with Princess Leia battling Jabba the Hutt.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
After he visited with Mrs. LeMaigre and determined that she was battling yellow fever, Rush began to change his tactics.
From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy
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.
