battle
noun
a hostile encounter or engagement between opposing military forces.
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battle
1 American
[bat-l]
/ ˈbæt l /
noun
-
battles
plural
-
a hostile encounter or engagement between opposing military forces.
the battle of Waterloo.
-
participation in such hostile encounters or engagements.
wounds received in battle.
-
a fight between two persons or animals.
ordering a trial by battle to settle the dispute.
-
any conflict or struggle.
a battle for control of the Senate.
-
Archaic. a battalion.
verb (used without object)
battled,
battling
verb (used with object)
battled,
battling
-
to fight (a person, army, cause, etc.).
We battled strong winds and heavy rains in our small boat.
-
to force or accomplish by fighting, struggling, etc..
He battled his way to the top of his profession.
idioms
battle
2
American
[bat-l]
/ ˈbæt l /
verb (used with object)
Archaic.
battled,
battling
battle
1
British
/ ˈbætəl /
noun
-
a fight between large armed forces; military or naval engagement; combat
-
conflict; contention; struggle
his battle for recognition
-
to start fighting
verb
-
to fight in or as if in military combat; contend (with)
she battled against cancer
-
to struggle in order to achieve something or arrive somewhere
he battled through the crowd
-
(intr) to scrape a living, esp by doing odd jobs
Battle
2
British
/ ˈbætəl /
noun
Battle
3
British
/ ˈbætəl /
noun
battle
More Idioms
Synonym Usage
Battle, action, skirmish mean a conflict between organized armed forces. A battle is a prolonged and general conflict pursued to a definite decision: the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. A skirmish is a slight engagement, often on the periphery of an area of battle: several minor skirmishes. An action can be a battle or a skirmish or can refer to actual fighting or combat: a major military action; action along the border; He saw action in the campaign.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of battle1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English batail(le), batal, from Old French bataille, from Vulgar Latin battālia (unrecorded) for Late Latin battuālia (neuter plural) “gladiatorial exercises,” equivalent to battu(ere) “to strike” + -ālia, neuter plural of -ālis adjective suffix; see also -al 2, bate 2
Origin of battle2
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English batailen, from Middle French bataillier “to provide with batailles; see battlement
Explanation
A battle is an open struggle, usually between two groups — like a baseball championship game or a food fight. The word battle is often used in opposition to war, a series of battles. Perhaps you have heard someone tell you, after winning the first of many dance competitions, "You may have won the battle, but you haven’t won the war!" A battle doesn’t have to occur between two individuals or groups. You may endure an inner battle to cut down on junk food. If you skip those fries for lunch today, then you have won a small battle.
Vocabulary lists containing battle
Superhero Lexicon
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Beowulf vocabulary
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"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act V
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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:
Based on the beloved Capcom video game, "Street Fighter" follows super-powered martial artists competing in a global tournament who uncover and battle a sinister conspiracy.
From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2026
If Sunday's parliamentary elections really are a battle for the heart of Serbia, then who better than a cardiologist to be one of the leading figures in the race.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
He returned again for the last series of the regular season, firmly in a battle for a postseason roster spot as a bat off the bench, and went hitless in three at-bats.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
Nixon faces an uphill battle headed into November.
From Salon ● Oct. 21, 2026
But what soldier isn’t afraid when he goes into battle?
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
The 1966 Battle of Hastings re-enactment that got real.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
“One Battle After Another,” from Paul Thomas Anderson, won numerous Oscars including best picture, but underperformed at the box office relative to its budget.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
Services on the route go via Battle, Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
Accounts of the Battle of Hengyang are scarce, particularly in English.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
During the Battle of Manhattan, Percy had fought this Titan at the Reservoir—water against fire.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
We can understand family breakups, custody battles or maternal rage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2026
Her coverage also spans high-stakes litigation, novel legal strategies, and court battles that impact business and the economy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026
The filmmakers followed the heated battles as people in the divided community resorted to screaming and name-calling.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Like most Zelda games, it follows green-clad hero Link as he battles the evil Ganondorf and tries to save Princess Zelda.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
Family legend has it that the coin was given to Dixon by a sweetheart to serve as a good luck charm through the Civil War battles.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
The powerful winds also battered northern France across the Channel as Europe battled its first big autumn storms of the year and experts warned of more extreme weather events because of global warming.
From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2026
He battled Rays reliever Ian Seymour for eight pitches, fouling off a collection of well-placed fastballs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2026
But business leaders have grown impatient with the slow pace of reforms as German companies have battled high energy prices, US tariffs and stiff Chinese competition, particularly in Germany's renowned automotive sector.
From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2026
Fire crews also battled the fire at Limoges town hall, which the local prefecture said caused part of the building to collapse.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
One minuscule step at a time, I battled toward the barn, praying for help: “Lord, I can’t do this alone.”
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
Indonesian schoolchildren prayed for rain on Thursday as another firefighter lost his life battling drought-fuelled blazes consuming forests and peatlands and blanketing parts of Southeast Asia in a sickening haze.
From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026
In response, he created a series of photographic collages that showed Black boxers battling corporate towers — figures that generate wealth attempting to take down the symbols of its accumulation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
Some scientists say plants designed to emit early stress signals could provide a productivity boost to farmers battling climate and environmental pressures.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
A resident of Launceston, Cornwall, goes above and beyond battling weeds and overgrown pathways free of charge to keep fit and help the community.
From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026
The first responders were battling the blaze from a distance, but the fire was still burning.
From "Time Bomb" by Joelle Charbonneau
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
