embattled
Americanadjective
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disposed or prepared for battle.
-
engaged in or beset by conflict or struggle.
adjective
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prepared for or engaged in conflict, controversy, or battle
-
heraldry having an indented edge resembling battlements
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of embattled
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; see embattle 1, -ed 2; embattled def. 2 probably by association with the general sense “restrict, enclose” of many verbs formed with em- 1, en- 1
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.
But Nanos has been embattled throughout the investigation, not just by criticism surrounding the Guthrie case.
From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026
Insurance companies are exposed to the embattled private-credit industry in more ways than one, according to a new report by Clearwater Analytics, a portfolio-management software provider.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026
Tuesday’s arrest follows a slew of legal issues for the embattled comedian.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026
Raj Bhakta was a former contestant on “The Apprentice,” an unsuccessful congressional candidate and an embattled whiskey entrepreneur.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026
But, over time, the middle ground that people like Sprat and Bentley had sought to occupy between superstition and rationalism became increasingly embattled, and the pendulum began to swing the other way.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
