battleground
Americannoun
plural
battlegrounds-
the area where a battle is fought in a war; battlefield.
-
a subject of discourse or area of activity characterized by much conflict.
Other Word Forms
- battlegrounding noun
- non-battleground noun
Explanation
A battleground is a piece of land on which a war or battle is fought. You can visit many of the battlegrounds of the US Civil War. The literal meaning of battleground is just what it sounds like: the ground on which a battle has been waged. You can also use the word for the site of a figurative battle, like an election or a vote on a controversial issue. "Battleground states" are those in which the vote between two parties could swing either way, since neither holds a firm majority.
Vocabulary lists containing battleground
25 Words from "Baseball and Black History"
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"The Vietnam Wars" by Tod Olson
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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.
Once the current tariff negotiations settle down, she said, “the rules-of-origin discussions could prove to be the next battleground on the trade front.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026
It now looks more comfortable above the round $80 number, a battleground area dating to December.
From Barron's • Apr. 20, 2026
The enterprise market has emerged as a key battleground for dominance among leading AI companies, as Anthropic wowed the market with its meteoric revenue growth in the first few months of 2026.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026
Before that, it was considered a "battleground of Europe", with foreign powers repeatedly exploiting its territories.
From BBC • Mar. 3, 2026
It was a battleground full of squad cars, reporters, and camera crews.
From "Bodega Dreams" by Ernesto Quinonez
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.
