combat
Americanverb (used with object)
-
combats,
present (3rd person singular)
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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
-
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:
Elected in large part because of his early opposition to Mr. Bush’s war, Barack Obama had to send troops back to Iraq to combat the rise of the Islamic State.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
Senior officers say they are investing in technology to combat e-bikes, but said this was not just a policing problem, and would need a broader effort to tackle the issue.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
Programs to build frigates, extend the lives of aging cruisers and operate a large fleet of littoral combat ships have foundered.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
When Kyle MacLachlan’s Paul says he’s “not in the mood” for combat training, Gurney explodes at him: “Mood’s a thing for cattle and loveplay, not fighting!”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
He showed his clear commitment to them by flying with them on many of their combat missions, which quickly gained their respect and admiration.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
“Sadly, business is booming,” said Michael Peck, head of the Secret Service’s Global Investigative Operations Center, which combats financial crime.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 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
Now a research team from Chalmers University of Technology, in Sweden, has created a unique system that combats the dilemma, thus paving the way for longer computation time and more robust quantum computers.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 18, 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
Tom Dreesen, the veteran stand-up comedian who toured with Frank Sinatra, combated civil rights-era racial tension with comedy, and championed pay for fellow Comedy Store acts, has died.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 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
"We've always combated those views, and we've always worked with young people - and that's the same for racist views and homophobic views," he says.
From BBC ● Apr. 9, 2025
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
If you find an egg mass on a tree that you can scrape off, you’re making a bigger impact, but realistically the only way the infestation can be combatted is on an industrial scale.
From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2022
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
L——, who had set his heart upon the fête champêtre, persisted, and combatted her antipathy by reason.
From Leonora by Maria Edgeworth
Such therapies could potentially target harmful bacteria responsible for human infections, providing a new approach to combating bacterial disease.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 31, 2026
“Netanyahu’s response reflects a theme he has been campaigning on, namely combating Palestinian terror,” said Michael Koplow, policy director of the Israel Policy Forum, a U.S. think tank.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
The police investigation was announced at a parliamentary committee meeting in the Cypriot capital, Nicosia, held to discuss the combating and prevention of money laundering.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
But researchers have repeatedly questioned its effectiveness in combating misinformation.
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026
Marigolds are now used in many places for combating nematodes.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
But if America wants secure aluminum supply chains, combatting unfair trade is necessary but not sufficient.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 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
Colombia's president-elect, de la Espriella, will take office a few days later, having won a similarly razor-thin election on the promise of combatting organised crime.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu chaired a ministerial meeting on Thursday afternoon to develop a readiness plan for extreme heat events, including combatting forest fires and ensuring adequate water supplies over the summer.
From BBC ● May 28, 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
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