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.
A few weeks after lifestyle influencer Nara Smith revealed her daughter’s private cancer battle, the mom of four is sharing that Whimsy is in remission.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026
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
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
Gertie and the others also learn of a three-month battle on the peninsula of Bataan, which the Japanese won.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
This is estimable, but Mr. Westad—with the Battle of the Somme in mind—suggests that there is an even higher morality that might require concessions on those very issues to keep the peace.
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
The artwork, which chronicles scenes from the 1066 Battle of Hastings and the start of the Norman Conquest of England, was held in a shock-proof and temperature controlled case to protect the delicate embroidery.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
He was still thinking about the story of the Battle of the Hundred in the Hands.
From "In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse" by Joseph Marshall III
Quadir herself is no stranger to hard-fought battles.
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
Just a few days later, Navratilova spoke by phone about the film, the friendship and their cancer battles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
But I couldn’t stop thinking about what Dad had told me, about facing your own battles.
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
In 2017, the last time the event was played on this magnificent links on the Merseyside coast, Fleetwood battled superbly after a nervous start to make an Open cut for the first time.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 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
Around 500 firefighters, backed by Spain's Military Emergency Unit, battled to contain the flames and search for victims.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
He battled the disease in Spain, where he lived, with the aid of an experimental drug that was not—and still is not—available in the United States.
From "Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom
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
It follows firefighters battling several wildfires across the country on Friday and Saturday, including in Derbyshire.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
There are freshmen battling with shepherds’ crooks from the prop table, which—I’m not going to lie—look exactly like the old-timey hooks from Simon’s nightmares.
From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli
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.
