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

Moshe Yitzchak Hacohen Katz, 22, was born in New Haven and was a soldier in the 890th battalion, Paratroopers Brigade. —Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 29 Mar. 2026

The contingent of paratroopers includes a battalion of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, the sources said. —Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026

The fire occurred at 145 Brevard Court, said John Lipcsak, battalion chief in the department’s public information office, in an email to The Charlotte Observer. —Charlotte Observer, 25 Mar. 2026

Rather, our liberties would be saved by the ragtag battalions of night people doing their tireless work, unpaid, unheralded, and largely unseen. —Daniel Brook, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 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