battlefield

[bat-l-feeld]

See more synonyms for battlefield on Thesaurus.com

noun

the field or ground on which a battle is fought.
an area of contention, conflict, or hostile opposition: During that era the classroom became a battlefield of incompatible ideologies.

Origin of battlefield

First recorded in 1805–15; battle¹ + field

Also called bat·tle·ground

[bat-l-ground] /ˈbæt lˌgraʊnd/.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for battlefield

arena, battleground, front, field, salient, Armageddon

Examples from the Web for battlefield

Contemporary Examples of battlefield

So however detailed the statistics of the battlefield are, they cannot achieve the goal.
Pentagon Doesn’t Know How Many People It’s Killed in the ISIS War
Nancy A. Youssef
January 7, 2015
The “tactical” side of artillery—its use on a battlefield—was something Jackson was not called upon to explain.
Stonewall Jackson, VMI’s Most Embattled Professor
S. C. Gwynne
November 29, 2014
For 50 years, this city that once graced postcards has been a battlefield.
‘Argo’ in the Congo: The Ghosts of the Stanleyville Hostage Crisis
Nina Strochlic
November 23, 2014
Despite its recent gains on the battlefield, the fight against rebel brigades has taken a significant toll on the government army.
Local Truces Are Syria’s Sad Little Pieces of Peace
Joshua Hersh
November 18, 2014
By one account, it aided U.S. troops in capturing or killing at least ten of those senior leaders from the battlefield.
How the NSA Became a Killing Machine
Shane Harris
November 9, 2014

Historical Examples of battlefield

He that does not believe is like a battlefield, the scene of every disaster.
The Three Cities Trilogy, Complete
Emile Zola
"He said that they were picked up on the battlefield of Colenso at first," the Baron declared.
The Avenger
E. Phillips Oppenheim
There is an incongruity about death on the battlefield which assails the mind.
Mountain Meditations
L. Lind-af-Hageby
A wounded man is esteemed of little value on the battlefield.
The Downfall
Emile Zola
You'll live in them, revel in them, rejoice in them, they'll be your battlefield.
The Christian
Hall Caine

British Dictionary definitions for battlefield

battlefield

battleground (ˈbætəlˌɡraʊnd)

noun

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for battlefield

1812, from battle (n.) + field (n.). The usual word for it in Old English was wælstow, literally "slaughter-place."