battle

1 of 3

noun

bat·​tle ˈba-tᵊl How to pronounce battle (audio)
plural battles
1
: a hostile encounter between opposing military forces
the battle of Normandy
soldiers who fell in battle
sometimes used before another noun
battle gear
2
: a usually lengthy contest, struggle, or controversy
a child custody battle
legal battles
… Detective Madison spends the film locked in a battle of wits with a criminal who always manages to stay one step ahead of him.Brad Sanders
3
: a struggle to succeed or survive
her battle with cancer
… I came home and faced an uphill battle to gain support for the treaty in the U.S. Senate.Al Gore
4
: a combat between two persons
specifically, history : the combat by which disputes were legally decided
In spite of the appeal of trial by battle to the imagination and plotlines of Victorian novels and Hollywood films, it was an uncommon event. Norman F. Cantor
5
archaic : battalion

battle

2 of 3

verb (1)

battled; battling ˈbat-liŋ How to pronounce battle (audio)
ˈba-tᵊl-iŋ
; battles

intransitive verb

1
: to engage in combat between individuals or armed forces : to engage in battle : fight
battling for control of the bridge
2
: to contend with full strength, vigor, skill, or resources : struggle
They battled to keep their son out of jail.
battling over how to spend the money

transitive verb

1
: to fight or struggle against
battling cancer
two teams set to battle each other for the championship
battling it out in the courtroom
2
: to force, thrust, or drive by battling
battling his way through the crowd
battler
ˈbat-lər How to pronounce battle (audio)
ˈba-tᵊl-ər
noun
plural battlers
… will no doubt continue to be the Senate's boldest battler for … justice … John Nichols
… a player who sweats: a fighter, a battler, a tireless worker who never stops. Sam Borden

battle

3 of 3

verb (2)

battled; battling; battles

transitive verb

archaic
: to fortify with battlements
… beneath the battled tower.Alfred Tennyson
Phrases
do battle
: to engage in a fight or struggle
… used to do battle with the fearless radicals of the Socialist Workers Party …Salman Rushdie
half the battle
: an important and necessary part of doing or achieving something
I think you will prosper, for the sincere wish to be good is half the battle.Louisa May Alcott
In the positioning war, half the battle is picking the right enemy.Ted Morgan
often used with words like only and just to stress that something is not enough by itself to achieve a desired goal
Selecting which partners and investors to woo is only half the battle. Knowing how to pitch them is equally important.Michelle Goodman
in the heat of (the) battle
: while fighting a battle
soldiers in the heat of battle
often used figuratively
When it comes to devising a game plan or making a key decision in the heat of battle, is there any coach you'd rather have than Bill Belichick?Brian Baldinger
battle it out
: to engage in a prolonged fight, argument, or struggle
The two sides battled it out in court.
… predicting that she and her 15-year-old sister, Serena, would soon be battling it out for No. 1.S. L. Price

Examples of battle in a Sentence

Noun That two-day conflict has become one of the most famous battles in history. The battle continued late into the night. Thousands of soldiers were willing to go into battle to fight the enemy. A police officer was injured in a gun battle that took place last night. The company was involved in a legal battle with one of its employees. the never-ending battle between good and evil
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The Panthers are back home vs. the Bruins on Tuesday in what could be a battle for the East lead. Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2024 For the remainder of the government funding battle, Johnson rarely bowed to conservative pressure. USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2024 The battle for the bunker in Avdiivka, in eastern Ukraine, was only a small part of one of dozens of clashes raging along a 600-mile front. Marc Santora, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2024 Get ready for a lengthy courtroom battle, and with pockets as deep as Apple’s, who knows what the outcome might be? Simon Hill, WIRED, 22 Mar. 2024 And that’s where this Goliath versus Goliath battle gets interesting. Allison Morrow, CNN, 22 Mar. 2024 Complaints come amid housing battle Tensions have grown between Sullinger and city officials since the council began discussing whether to adjust zoning laws to allow for more affordable housing options. Sarah Ritter, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2024 Not to mention, Apple’s legal battle will play out over the long term, meaning the impacts of the suit to its business won’t be immediate. Laura Bratton, Quartz, 22 Mar. 2024 Crittenden died Wednesday at her home in Pacific Palisades after a battle with several cancers, fellow casting director Ilene Starger told The Hollywood Reporter. Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Mar. 2024
Verb
There’s a significant gap between the Top Five and Austin Cindric and Denny Hamlin battling for sixth. Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 24 Mar. 2024 Vaughn said she’s spent nearly $200,000 in court fees trying to battle Chludinsky’s abuse and allegations for years. Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2024 Firefighters continued to battle wildfires across parts of the Mid-Atlantic on Thursday, a day after high winds and low humidity sparked dozens of fires in four states, prompting officials to issue air-quality alerts. Remy Tumin, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2024 Netanyahu is sending a delegation to Washington for talks on how to battle Hamas without endangering civilians. Sarah Dadouch, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024 The cola duel continues The two beverage giants have traded blows for decades and if Subway’s deal with Pepsi is any indication, the two companies will continue to battle for the top spot in the beverage industry. Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 20 Mar. 2024 Whenever the Federal Reserve lifts rates to battle high inflation, the risk of a recession increases, and the US economy has typically fallen into an economic downturn under the weight of rising borrowing costs. Bryan Mena, CNN, 19 Mar. 2024 The companies are battling for many of the same low-income shoppers. Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024 Like, Oasis’ battling Gallaghers, or some gentler brand of bros? Chris Willman, Variety, 12 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'battle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English batel, from Anglo-French bataille battle, battalion, from Late Latin battalia combat, alteration of battualia fencing exercises, from Latin battuere to beat

Verb (1)

Middle English bataillen, borrowed from Anglo-French batailler, verbal derivative of bataille battle entry 1

Verb (2)

Middle English batailen, from Anglo-French bataillier to fortify with battlements, from Old French batailles battlemented tower, probably from plural of bataille battle

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Verb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of battle was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near battle

Cite this Entry

“Battle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/battle. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

battle

1 of 2 noun
bat·​tle ˈbat-ᵊl How to pronounce battle (audio)
1
: a fight between two persons
trial by battle
2
: a fight between armies, warships, or airplanes
3
: a long or hard struggle or contest
a battle of wits

battle

2 of 2 verb
battled; battling ˈbat-liŋ How to pronounce battle (audio)
-ᵊl-iŋ
1
: to engage in battle
2
: contend sense 2, struggle
battle for a cause
3
: to fight against
battling a forest fire
battler
-lər How to pronounce battle (audio)
-ᵊl-ər
noun

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