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.
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.
a fight between large armed forces; military or naval engagement; combat
conflict; contention; struggle
his battle for recognition
to start fighting
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, 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.
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
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English batailen, from Middle French bataillier “to provide with batailles; see battlement
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.
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
For The Telegraph, Neill also discussed his humble upbringing, how he felt his acting career had been a “complete fluke” and his perspective on life amid his cancer battle.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
OpenAI won a court battle with Elon Musk in May, but the lawsuit exposed some of the company’s not-so-pretty inner workings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
The battle for the drivers' championship has tightened up as Formula 1 prepares for this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
The cost of living fell in June for the first time in six years thanks to plunging gas prices, but the U.S.’s battle against high inflation is far from over.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
“Brandy. Union officers would take a sip after a battle won.”
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
A thick early morning marine layer on Saturday in Huntington Beach left players, coaches and fans arriving for the Battle at the Beach seven-on-seven passing tournament feeling cool and energized.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
It marks the 110th anniversary of the Battle of Delville Wood in Longueval, northern France, where several hundred South Africans were killed.
From Barron's ● Jul. 11, 2026
As one intelligence analyst put it to me last week: His inspiration may be Marshal Ferdinand Foch, the general who commanded French forces at the Battle of the Marne in 1914.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
Meanwhile, World War II encompasses 69 pages, but to be fair, it covers pretty much everything from the Battle of Midway to lesser-known theaters in Tunisia and the Marshall Islands.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
The woman in the seat next to me whispers that the Battle of Stalingrad is over and the Nazis lost—their first official surrender of the war.
From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse
Power struggles, betrayal and bloody battles - these are the events shown in great detail in the Bayeux Tapestry, covering one of the most momentous periods in English history.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
That tension has defined some of the most significant First Amendment battles in American history, including disputes over classified documents, confidential sources and government efforts to identify journalists’ sources.
From Salon ● Jul. 11, 2026
Those two Fed chairs are remembered for their epic battles with the legislative branch.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 11, 2026
The decision is a blow to Apple as the tech giant battles the Digital Markets Act, an EU law that came into force in November 2022.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
I studied battles way before I ever stepped foot in the Ring.
From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas
He battled Stage 3 angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare and aggressive type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
In 2017, the last time the event was played on this magnificent links on the Merseyside coast, Fleetwood battled superbly after a nervous start to make an Open cut for the first time.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
The agency said 604 crews, with 1,068 personnel, dozers and water-dropping aircraft battled the fire.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
What’s funny is that as Djokovic has aged and battled, the crowd has really come around.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
For hours they battled their way westward in a blizzard.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
The Angels are accustomed to quickly promoting top talent, but last year’s No. 2 draft pick Tyler Bremner is battling injury and personal hurdles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
With some 850 firefighters battling the flames with the help of specialised Canadair aircraft, authorities are hoping to control the flames during the day, said Paul-Edouard Laurain, spokesman for the regional firefighters.
From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026
For two years, after losing a landmark defamation case filed by the Sandy Hook families and declaring bankruptcy, Jones has been battling the satirical news site the Onion for control of his website Infowars.
From Slate ● Jul. 12, 2026
The combat also clearly draws from modern Assassin's Creed games, but preserves some of the timing-based battling of the original.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
When Japan occupied Indochina during World War II, he slipped across the border from China into Vietnam and formed the Viet Minh, a guerrilla force that began battling the invaders.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
