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

By storing blood in two battalion chief vehicles, paramedics are able to begin transfusions at the scene of a severe bleeding emergency instead of having to wait until the victim arrives at a hospital. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026

The blasts occurred after the battalion commander leading the 18-member team decided to end the mission and withdraw because the unit was too close to the demarcation line, the Joint Chiefs said. — ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026

On the afternoon of June 1, firefighters responded to a fire on the roof of Green Lady, which started in the HVAC system, according to battalion chief Michael Hopkins. — Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 24 Sep. 2026

That day brought major change for the battalion, which is trained to develop and maintain data and communications networks for soldiers in the field. — Haley Parsley, Sacbee.com, 20 Sep. 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