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

Military under severe strain The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) last month diverted a combat battalion from the northern border with Lebanon to the West Bank amid the wartime surge in settler violence. —Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2026

The cat who died, from a different apartment, was retrieved by firefighters and reunited with its owners, the battalion chief said. —Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2026

In a post on Instagram, the battalion touted the bust and posted an image of Hulk after the operation. —CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026

On Sunday, more than 150 Marine families from the battalion were his guests for the club’s very popular Easter brunch. —Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 5 Apr. 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