battalion

noun

bat·​tal·​ion bə-ˈtal-yən 

1

: a considerable body of troops organized to act together : army

2

: a military unit composed of a headquarters and two or more companies, batteries, or similar units

3

: a large group

Synonyms of battalion

• army

Examples of battalion in a Sentence

a battalion of angry protesters

the nation's battalions were forced to fight on two fronts simultaneously

Recent Examples on the Web

The implosion occurred during a shift change, and the six workers whose bodies were found were in an area of the site where workers would go before their shift, Matt Amos, Longview fire battalion chief, said, per The Guardian. —Adam England, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026

When an American battalion was trapped behind enemy lines in World War I, a pigeon delivered the coordinates that helped save the soldiers when no human messenger could. —Kasha Patel, CNN Money, 29 May 2026

The battalion chief on the call went into the rear of the home, got past a kitchen fire into another room, and found the man deceased. —Paula Wethington, CBS News, 28 May 2026

In a normal year, David Acuña, a battalion chief for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), said firefighters would just be gearing up for another wildfire season. —Dan Peck, ABC News, 27 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle French bataillon, from Old Italian battaglione, augmentative of battaglia company of soldiers, battle, from Late Latin battalia combat — more at battle entry 1

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for battalion

• italian
• medallion
• scallion
• stallion

Kids Definition

battalion

noun

bat·​tal·​ion bə-ˈtal-yən 

1

: a large body of troops : army

2

: a military unit composed of two or more smaller units (as companies or batteries)

3

: a large body of persons organized to act together