battleship

American  

[bat-l-ship] / ˈbæt lˌʃɪp /

noun

1. any of a class of warships that are the most heavily armored and are equipped with the most powerful armament.

2. ship of the line.

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battleship British  

/ ˈbætəlˌʃɪp /

noun

1. a heavily armoured warship of the largest type having many large-calibre guns

2. (formerly) a warship of sufficient size and armament to take her place in the line of battle; ship of the line

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Etymology

Origin of battleship

An Americanism dating back to 1785–95; battle ¹ + ship ¹

Compare meaning

How does battleship compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• dreadnought vs. battleship

Explanation

A battleship is a very large, seagoing military vessel. A battleship is prepared for war, being protected by heavy armor and equipped with guns. Today's modern military doesn't often use battleships — you're more likely to find a battleship in a harbor being explored by tourists. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, battleships were the most modern, powerful kind of boat on the water, and they were used during both World Wars by various countries' navies. The game Battleship, which shares a name with these warships, has been around in one form or another since the 1930s.

Example Sentences

“I think we’re trying to understand all the proper trade offs, and then think about it as a battleship strike group and a carrier strike group.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

“I think the battleship is sort of an exogenous introduction that reflects, you know, what Secretary Phelan and the president wanted to do, rather than what the analysis shows,” Clark said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

Navy decommissioned its last battleship in 1992, after the military recognized that battleships had become sitting ducks, vulnerable to modern military munitions that could pick off the vessel from the sky.

From Salon • May 8, 2026

Trump said at a news conference announcing the battleship that the construction of the first of the vessels, the USS Defiant, would begin soon, with the first ships operational in two-and-a-half years.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

I was worried because the great German battleship Bismarck had been hit in the rudder and was doomed to going in circles until she was sunk by the British.

From "Hole in My Life" by Jack Gantos