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• battle
  battle

  noun

  a hostile encounter or engagement between opposing military forces.
• Battle
  Battle

  noun

  a town in SE England, in East Sussex: site of the Battle of Hastings (1066); medieval abbey. Pop: 5190 (2001)

battle

¹ American  

[bat-l] / ˈbæt l /

noun

• battles
  plural

1. a hostile encounter or engagement between opposing military forces.

   the battle of Waterloo.

   Synonyms:

   war, conflict, contest

2. participation in such hostile encounters or engagements.

   wounds received in battle.

   Synonyms:

   combat, warfare

3. a fight between two persons or animals.

   ordering a trial by battle to settle the dispute.

4. any conflict or struggle.

   a battle for control of the Senate.

5. Archaic. a battalion.

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verb (used without object)

battled, battling

1. to engage in battle.

   ready to battle with the enemy.

2. to work very hard or struggle; strive.

   to battle for freedom.

   Synonyms:

   toil

verb (used with object)

battled, battling

1. to fight (a person, army, cause, etc.).

   We battled strong winds and heavy rains in our small boat.

2. to force or accomplish by fighting, struggling, etc..

   He battled his way to the top of his profession.

idioms

1. give / do battle, to enter into conflict; fight.

   He was ready to do battle for his beliefs.

battle ² American  

[bat-l] / ˈbæt l /

verb (used with object)

Archaic.

battled, battling

1. to furnish (a building or wall) with battlements; crenelate.

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battle ¹ British  

/ ˈbætəl /

noun

1. a fight between large armed forces; military or naval engagement; combat

2. conflict; contention; struggle

   his battle for recognition

3. to start fighting

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verb

1. to fight in or as if in military combat; contend (with)

   she battled against cancer

2. to struggle in order to achieve something or arrive somewhere

   he battled through the crowd

3. (intr) to scrape a living, esp by doing odd jobs

Battle ² British  

/ ˈbætəl /

noun

1. a town in SE England, in East Sussex: site of the Battle of Hastings (1066); medieval abbey. Pop: 5190 (2001)

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Battle ³ British  

/ ˈbætəl /

noun

1. Kathleen . born 1948, US opera singer: a coloratura soprano, she made her professional debut in 1972 and sang with New York City's Metropolitan Opera (1977–94)

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battle More Idioms  

1. see half the battle; losing battle; pitched battle.

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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

• battler
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• battles
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

battle Battle battles battled battling

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

Palantir is currently involved in a legal battle with the Mayor of London's office, over its decision to block the Metropolitan Police from agreeing a contract with the company.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

Letters, interviews and cultural explanations give her work depth and color beyond the usual battle narrative.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

Marr's 1982 Rickenbacker 330 Jetglo sold for £358,400 after attracting a bidding battle lasting more than five minutes.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

But he kept on trying, and I respected him for not giving up, even though it looked like a losing battle to me.

From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan

Carol Breed, who backs the Detroit Lions, considered travelling to Highmark Stadium from her home in Battle Creek, Michigan, after she heard they would play the Canadian national anthem.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

Shifen Fox, whose father was killed during the siege, sets out to rescue its story in “The Battle of Hengyang.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

The lack of adequate explanation does seem to be a sin of omission by “The Battle to Breathe,” especially given the narrative that leads us to the development of Trikafta.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

The region was also the site of the Battle of Jutland, fought off Hanstholm in Northern Jutland.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026

When I tell her Erin wouldn’t see me, Mrs. Battle says, “Well, then, we might as well get back to the gym for a late practice.”

From "Boy21" by Matthew Quick

Indonesia regularly battles wildfires during the dry season, which typically runs from July to October.

From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026

In that respect, like many other merger battles, this one has been producing more murk than light.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

Let’s celebrate that, even as we gird for more battles to come.

From Slate ● Sep. 15, 2026

Rybakina's next two wins over China's Zheng Qinwen and home favourite Coco Gauff required more work after losing the first sets, proving she had the durability to come through tough battles.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

I would like some answers, but I also know I need to choose my battles.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

Thoughts of a £100m-rated midfielder picking out a Brazil winger to head Bournemouth to victory in Europe was the stuff of fantasy as the Dorset club battled for survival.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

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

Harry battled the ministry in the courts after Ravec downgraded his security following his 2020 move.

From Barron's ● Sep. 7, 2026

The northbound Glendale Freeway was closed briefly for a small brush fire Wednesday afternoon while, to the south, fire crews battled a blaze in Orange County that quickly consumed more than 200 acres.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026

While the British and French were fighting the Germans at Verdun and the Somme, Russian and Italian troops battled the armies of Austria-Hungary on distant fronts.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

Indonesia has been battling wildfires for weeks in parts of Borneo and Sumatra, which have blanketed parts of the country as well as neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore in toxic haze.

From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026

The tourists were battling for survival on 52-2 - 268 adrift of making England bat again - when the bad weather intervened for a second and final occasion in Birmingham.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

Expect a flood of visitors wanting a selfie with Princess Leia battling Jabba the Hutt.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

The Zvernec residents have already been battling this appropriation of their land in the courts for 20 years, so in many ways, the Kushner development is just the latest twist.

From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026

If you’re always battling against getting older, you’re always going to be unhappy, because it will happen anyhow.

From "Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom

Related Words

• action
• assault
• attack
• bloodshed
• bombing
• campaign
• clash
• combat
• conflict
• crusade
• encounter
• fighting
• hostility
• skirmish
• strife
• struggle
• war
• warfare