combat
Americanverb (used with object)
-
combats,
present (3rd person singular)
-
combated,
past participle, past
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combatted,
past participle, past (especially British)
-
combating,
present participle
-
combatting
present participle (especially British)
verb (used without object)
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combats,
present (3rd person singular)
-
combated,
past participle, past
-
combatted,
past participle, past (especially British)
-
combating,
present participle
-
combatting
present participle (especially British)
noun
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combats
plural
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Military. active, armed fighting with enemy forces.
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a fight, struggle, or controversy, as between two persons, teams, or ideas.
noun
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a fight, conflict, or struggle
-
-
an action fought between two military forces
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( as modifier )
a combat jacket
-
-
a fight between two individuals; duel
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fighting at close quarters
verb
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(tr) to fight or defy
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(intr; often foll by with or against) to struggle or strive (against); be in conflict (with)
to combat against disease
Usage
What does combat mean? Combat is most commonly used in a military context to refer to active fighting among opposing armies. To engage in combat is to engage in fighting. This kind of combat most commonly takes place on a battlefield or warzone on the ground (called a combat zone). Aerial combat involves fighting in the air among air forces. Hand-to-hand combat involves close fighting, often literally with one’s hands. Combat is often used as a modifier (adjective) in terms that refer to things related to or involving combat, such as combat training, combat medic, combat fatigue, and combat boots. Combat is sometimes used more broadly or figuratively to refer to active conflict between two people or groups, as in The two corporations are preparing to do combat in the courtroom. The term verbal combat refers to fighting with words. Combat is also commonly used as a verb meaning to oppose or work to defeat. It’s especially used when the thing to be defeated is intangible or abstract, as in We need to combat climate change or Our organization works to combat poverty. The figurative senses of the verbs fight and battle are close synonyms of this sense of combat. The sides engaging in combat can be called combatants. The adjective combative means inclined to fight. Example: The objective of basic training is to prepare our soldiers for combat.
Synonym Usage
See fight
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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combaternoun
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intercombatnoun
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precombatnoun
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combatableadjective
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self-combatingadjective
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uncombatableadjective
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uncombatedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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combatsimple
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combatssimple
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have combatedperfect
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have combattedperfect
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has combatedperfect
-
has combattedperfect
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am combatingprogressive
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am combattingprogressive
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are combatingprogressive
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are combattingprogressive
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is combatingprogressive
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is combattingprogressive
-
have been combatingperfect progressive
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have been combattingperfect progressive
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has been combatingperfect progressive
-
has been combattingperfect progressive
Past
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combatedsimple
-
combattedsimple
-
had combatedperfect
-
had combattedperfect
-
was combatingprogressive
-
was combattingprogressive
-
were combatingprogressive
-
were combattingprogressive
-
had been combatingperfect progressive
-
had been combattingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of combat
First recorded in 1535–45; from Middle French combat (noun), combattre (verb), from Late Latin combattere, from Latin com- com- + Late Latin battere, from Latin battuere “to strike, beat”
Explanation
Combat is fighting between two groups of armed forces. When you engage in combat, typically this means you engage in fighting that involves weapons. Combat comes from the Latin com- meaning "together with" and battere meaning "to fight." Combat can be used as a modifier; for example, a combat zone is an area where fighting is taking place. The word combat can also be used to refer to the action of fighting against something to prevent it. An after-school program for kids is working to combat the issue of street violence by creating a safe space where kids can go as an alternative.
Vocabulary lists containing combat
Vocabulary from the Introduction to "Reality is Broken" by Jane McGonigal
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Memorial Day: Words of Respect and Remembrance
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Beowulf vocabulary
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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.
See Examples For:
The investigations are commissioned by the pontiff and were introduced in 2019 to combat sexual abuse and hold bishops and other high-ranking Catholic Church officials accountable for their actions.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
It includes combat drones and satellite technology to help Ukraine hit Russian launch sites, as well as for the joint production of anti-jet drones, the German sources said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026
Branch manager Nuala Hyde said she has noticed more people using their free activities to combat the rising cost of living.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
Pakistan already has 8,000 troops in Saudi Arabia, along with 16 Chinese-made JF-17 Thunder fighter jets, combat drone squadrons and a surface-to-air missile battery.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
This would all cause trouble later, but for now, the young pilots of the 586th were busy getting used to flying real combat missions—even if they weren’t at the front.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
Of the distinct combats that historians have identified, more than 90% were not primarily fought by formally organized regular troops but instead involved district militias and other irregulars, including Native American warriors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 9, 2026
Even as her unsinkable, emotionally complicated boss combats Ava’s efforts to elevate the show at every turn, Ava’s maturation stands out.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2025
Leaders justify the handsome salaries by saying it combats corruption.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2024
The proteins' interaction, or pathway, is a well-known target for treating many conditions because Keap1 essentially controls when Nrf2 responds to -- and combats -- oxidative stress.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 25, 2024
Japanese warfare had previously involved single combats between samurai swordsmen, who stood in the open, made ritual speeches, and then took pride in fighting gracefully.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Experts say the refurbished phone was likely loaded with spyware, and that she could have combated this by restoring factory settings before setting it up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
Google has also combated the idea that AI will kill its Search business by developing AI Overviews and AI Search.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 12, 2025
Numerous fire hydrants in higher-elevation streets of the Palisades went dry, leaving firefighters struggling with low water pressure as they combated the flames.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 10, 2025
Meanwhile, piggery managers combated mosquitoes by mowing grass, applying insecticides, removing standing water, and repairing window screens in offices and lunch rooms.
From Science Magazine ● Nov. 21, 2023
I combated him with health class facts and my father’s numbers.
From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King
The freight company has combatted a weak shipping economy by controlling costs.
From Barron's ● Oct. 31, 2025
Even in industries that have long combatted workers' attempts to organize, like food service, workers have seen ongoing progress towards unionization and scored big political wins, like the creation of California's fast food labor council.
From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2023
Blinken said in a message sent to all department employees that the vandalism is a painful reminder that antisemitism remains an issue in the U.S. and around the world and must be combatted relentlessly.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 27, 2021
The propagation of conspiracy theories can partially be combatted by strong messaging from trusted sources.
From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2020
Disheartened by this, the Inca retired to the fortress of Ollantaytampu, where he successfully combatted the attempts of Hernando Pizarro to capture him.
From An Account of the Conquest of Peru by Philip Ainsworth Means
Frenk, who arrived in January 2025, has made combating antisemitism a centerpiece of his leadership, calling it in his court statement “a moral imperative.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
It’s also worth asking one other question of someone like Greenblatt, who has made combating antisemitism his life’s work.
From Slate ● Sep. 16, 2026
Revolut's rapid growth has also drawn criticism in recent years over its ability to comply with financial regulations, particularly those aimed at combating fraud and money laundering.
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
It read: "Taking the law into one's own hands, especially when it involves public figures, is a reprehensible practice that prevents the IDF from focusing on its missions of combating terrorism and incitement to violence."
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
I put in long hours at Sidley & Austin, often eating both lunch and dinner at my desk while combating a continuous flow of documents, all of them written in precise and decorous lawyer-language.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
"South Africa has challenges with the prevention of crime and with the combatting of crime," he said.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
A documentary offers a history of cystic fibrosis and the medical advancements in combatting it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
Automatic license plate readers like Flock cameras were by far the top choice for combatting catalytic converter theft, beating out overtime for investigators and additional training.
From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026
Daniel Noboa, who ultimately went on to win the election and become Ecuador's president, has taken a hardline military approach to combatting crime gangs.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
She claimed to be an expert in combatting cold weather and in avoiding head colds.
From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
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.
