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

Some deputy chiefs and battalion chiefs protested the move, but Courser stood firm. —Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026

His cousin, the late Ed Brand, was a battalion chief for the Oak Lawn Fire Department. —Janice Neumann, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026

But Nolan, the KCFD battalion chief, said simple precautionary measures can help minimize the risk of accidentally starting a fire. —Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 1 Jan. 2026

Assistant Fire Chief Greg Baltimore (33 years) - Baltimore joined the Franklin Fire Department in 1992 and progressed through the ranks from firefighter to engineer, lieutenant, captain, battalion chief and assistant fire chief. —Gabrielle Chenault, Nashville Tennessean, 28 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