battle

1 of 3

noun

bat·​tle ˈba-tᵊl 

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 

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 

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

Synonyms

Noun

• fight
• fray
• scrabble
• struggle
• throes

Verb (1)

• compete
• contend
• face off
• fight
• race
• rival
• vie

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

This case is at the epicenter of the ongoing battle between Starbucks and their employees–and the potential implications of the Supreme Court’s decision are significant. —Aron Solomon, Fortune, 29 Apr. 2024

Orange Lutheran won the Trinity League title, is battle tested and has outstanding leadoff hitter Derek Curiel. —Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2024

There's an ongoing battle between the campaigns to define the stakes of the election this year. —Anthony Salvanto, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2024

For example, there are plenty of big real estate battles brewing across California this spring. —Jonathan Lansner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Apr. 2024

The host side seemed to have a numerical advantage in every situation and were winning the physical battles, too. —Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 27 Apr. 2024

The Panthers had generally won the special teams battle, with Florida’s penalty kill holding Tampa Bay to two power-play goals in 12 attempts. —Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 27 Apr. 2024

Four years ago, Mississippi abandoned the state flag that flew for 126 years with a Confederate battle emblem embedded in it, and the Confederate monument that had been perched for a century on the lawn of the Lowndes County Courthouse in Columbus was moved to a secluded cemetery in 2021. —Rick Rojas Kate Medley, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2024

Devout Lions fan Eminem then helped to kick off the draft itself with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, first taking part in a filmed segment in which Goodell proposed a rap battle — to Eminem’s obvious bewilderment. —Gary Graff, Billboard, 26 Apr. 2024

Verb

McKinsey is battling problems on many fronts while the broader industry is experiencing a slowdown in demand for consulting services. —Ambereen Choudhury, Fortune, 29 Apr. 2024

Both men are battling public perceptions about their age and competency—and seizing upon one another’s weaknesses in the race for the White House. —Mallory Moench, TIME, 28 Apr. 2024

The iconic Oceanside Pier in southern California erupted in flames Thursday afternoon, sending plumes of billowing smoke into the sky as firefighters battled the blaze. —Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 26 Apr. 2024

Even generational talents like Maya Angelou and Tom Hanks have admitted to battling imposter syndrome. —King Holder, Rolling Stone, 26 Apr. 2024

The company is also battling negative news on other fronts. —Dasha Afanasieva, Fortune Europe, 25 Apr. 2024

Over the course of the next two years, the couple battled out in court. —Alex Gurley, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024

Hedges is a leader of the Montana Environmental Information Center, where she’s spent three decades battling for clean air, clean water and a healthy climate. —Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024

Guyton has battled injuries and had limited reps coming over from TCU after the 2021 season, but his flashes have been complemented by increasing consistency. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2024

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

Phrases Containing battle

• battle-ax
• battle-axe
• battle/clash of wills
• battle cruiser
• battle cry
• battle dress uniform
• battle fatigue
• battle it out
• battle line
• battle of the sexes
• battle of wits
• battle rope
• battle royal
• battle royale
• custody battle
• do battle
• field of battle
• fight a losing battle
• half the battle
• in battle
• in the heat of (the) battle
• join battle
• order of battle
• pitched battle
• pre-battle
• running battle
• trial by battle
• uphill battle

Kids Definition

battle

1 of 2 noun

bat·​tle ˈbat-ᵊl 

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 

-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 

-ᵊl-ər

noun