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.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Nike is losing the fashion battle to Japan’s Asics.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
The tourism destination is being evacuated as firefighters continue to battle a wildfire that has raged in the Gironde region for days.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
British airline EasyJet, the target of a multi-billion-pound takeover battle, said Thursday that profits plunged in the third quarter as the Middle East war sent jet fuel prices soaring.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
Late “Dawson’s Creek” star James Van Der Beek’s former Beverly Hills home has been offered up for rent—five months after the actor died following a battle with cancer.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
There was a smell: three smells, in battle.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
This is estimable, but Mr. Westad—with the Battle of the Somme in mind—suggests that there is an even higher morality that might require concessions on those very issues to keep the peace.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Regina Hall, 55, is an actress known for the films “Scary Movie” and four of its sequels, “Support the Girls” and “One Battle After Another.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Plans to loan it to London had been considered twice before: in 1953 for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and in 1966 for the 900th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
Infiniti was overlooked at the Oscars for her lead turn in “One Battle After Another,” but Emmy voters did right by her, nominating her formidable work in the sequel to “The Handmaid’s Tale.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
In September 1914, it was French pilots flying over enemy lines who watched two advancing German units change direction, opening a gap between them and setting the stage for the Battle of the Marne.
From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman
It's the start of the summer holidays and you've already had five battles with your child to get them to eat a bit of broccoli.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
He volunteered at the very start and has survived some of the grimmest battles.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 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
Before awed spectators, the army fought pretend battles, with guns, tanks, communication battalions, motorcyclists, and cavalry.
From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Nearly 1,000 firefighters and specialised water aircraft battled to contain the blaze in the region that lies along France's Mediterranean coast between the cities of Marseille and Nice.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
He increasingly battled with a top command he cast as out of date, not flexible and bogged down with bureaucracy.
From Barron's ● Jul. 16, 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
Firefighters covering Devon and Somerset also battled at least four grassland fires on Saturday.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
Or that I battled monsters big and small, with powers I didn’t know I had, with gods I didn’t know existed.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
While not on par with battling carnivorous Cyclops or world-weary witches, getting a ticket to “The Odyssey,” even after opening weekend, is a voyage filled with many obstacles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
Around 700 firefighters have been battling the flames on land, while several firefighting planes have been dumping water from the sky since the blaze erupted around midday on Wednesday.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said a firefighter died after falling ill while battling the flames.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
You’ve been very vocal about battling bipolar disorder and channeling your hypersensitivity into music.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
The first responders were battling the blaze from a distance, but the fire was still burning.
From "Time Bomb" by Joelle Charbonneau
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.
