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:
The Galaxy lost the statistical battle everywhere but the scoreboard, getting outshot 24-8.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026
They are fighting a perilous battle with limited weapons against fires blamed in part on a stronger-than-usual episode of the El Nino climate phenomenon parching Southeast Asia.
From Barron's ● Sep. 6, 2026
Kalshi and Polymarket, along with the CFTC, are locked in a battle about whether prediction markets’ operations violate state gambling laws.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026
There is, unfortunately for the administration, already a boss battle.
From Salon ● Sep. 5, 2026
Even if you win a battle, as long as the enemy’s got a heart that’s beating and a brain that’s working, you’d better be prepared for a counterattack.
From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan
Warner Bros. borrowed and refurbished the machine to show “One Battle After Another” for pre-release screenings on the WB lot.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
After the disastrous Battle of Long Island in August, Washington faced a tough decision: defend New York, burn it to keep it out of British hands or simply retreat?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
The evidence suggests King Harold may have weakened his position well before the Battle of Hastings by supporting the wrong faction during a bitter conflict between two competing popes.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026
George Osborn, journalist and author of Power Play: Video Games, Politics and the Battle for Global Influence, said it was still an "appealing" financial opportunity to PIF, external despite the enormous price tag.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
Later, the Reyes family home was destroyed in the Battle of Manila and the family was forced to flee on foot.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
In case you’ve missed one of the most surprising battles in sports, Kiffin and the Tigers attempted to bring back two players who had already done stints in the NFL.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026
First year head coach Ray Fenton inherited this insane schedule, but he probably would’ve booked the same battles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026
Thick smog has blanketed parts of Indonesia as the vast archipelago for weeks battles to contain fires that have burned large swathes of Borneo and Sumatra.
From Barron's ● Sep. 5, 2026
"European football is physical and top teams are trying to win the ball back high, trusting their defenders and midfielders to defend man for man to win their battles."
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
We learned to pick our battles for the greater good and let other things go by the wayside.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
Several new mothers battled what looked like postpartum depression.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026
The northbound Glendale Freeway was closed briefly for a small brush fire Wednesday afternoon while, to the south, fire crews battled a blaze in Orange County that quickly consumed more than 200 acres.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
Nepali rescue teams battled difficult terrain, an unpredictable river and treacherous marshland on Monday, the sixth day in their search for survivors and victims of devastating floods.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
He is joined in the second round in New York by compatriot Katie Boulter, who battled past American wildcard Carol Young Suh Lee 6-4 3-6 6-0.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 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
JapanLA‘s owner says her team is working every day to block and silence trolls. She‘s still reeling from how quickly her business went from a bumper batch of orders to battling for its life.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
In the 20-minute gameplay sequence, Lara Croft -- still in her famous blue top and brown shorts -- explores an abandoned tomb in Greece, battling panthers and dodging giant swords falling from the ceiling.
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026
The special will see a "high-stakes major incident" throw Holby City Hospital into chaos, with Beck's character Dylan Keogh battling personal tragedy while leading his team through their darkest hour, according to the BBC.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
Britain's Harriet Dart hailed the "community" of supporters who roared her on as she ended a 19-month wait for a Grand Slam win with a battling victory over Peyton Stearns at the US Open.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
Maddie was battling the control column as though it were alive.
From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein
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.
