battlefield

American  

[bat-l-feeld] / ˈbæt lˌfild /

noun

1. the field or ground on which a battle is fought.

2. an area of contention, conflict, or hostile opposition.

   During that era the classroom became a battlefield of incompatible ideologies.

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battlefield British  

/ ˈbætəlˌɡraʊnd, ˈbætəlˌfiːld /

noun

1. the place where a battle is fought; an area of conflict

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Etymology

Origin of battlefield

First recorded in 1805–15; battle ¹ + field

Explanation

A place where fighting happens, especially during a war, can be called a battlefield. If you visit Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, you'll see a famous Civil War battlefield. There are many Civil War battlefields in the southern United States, and New England is the site of several Revolutionary War battlefields. While the physical land where a battle is fought is the most common kind of battlefield, there are also figurative battlefields, like a classroom in which competing ideas are angrily hashed out. The equivalent word in Old English is wælstow, or "slaughter-place."

Example Sentences

Russia, whose battlefield advances have slowed since last year, has paid a high price in manpower for relatively small territorial gains.

From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026

The military is subordinate to its civilian commander in chief, and as chairman of the Joint Chiefs, he has no direct command of battlefield forces.

From Salon • Apr. 11, 2026

"Because dual-use technology like this has become increasingly democratised, it is making the modern battlefield more transparent for both sides than ever before," he said.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

“In the Fields of Fatherless Children,” the publisher writes: “examines the long shadow cast by the Vietnam War. Not just on the battlefield, but on the women, children, and rural communities that were left behind.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

He could imagine Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho women and children crossing the river and walking onto the battlefield.

From "In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse" by Joseph Marshall III

Related Words

• arena
• battleground
• front line