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

Lacey spent the past 20 years climbing through the ranks of the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department, starting first as a firefighter-paramedic before rising to the rank of fire captain, battalion chief and deputy chief. —Kyle Martin, Mercury News, 22 Dec. 2025

In Generation Kill, the searing Iraq War drama based on Rolling Stone journalist Evan Wright’s non-fiction story, Ransone played Corporal Josh Ray Person a member of a Marines battalion during the 2003 invasion. —Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 21 Dec. 2025

In Sacramento, a battalion chief, who is Black, filed a lawsuit against the city in 2023 alleging racial discrimination. —Theresa Clift, Sacbee.com, 19 Dec. 2025

Various departments from northern Nevada participated in a special procession for the late battalion chief on Wednesday, according to the Professional Firefighters of Nevada, which shared footage from the event on Facebook. —Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 11 Dec. 2025

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