battlefield

noun

bat·​tle·​field ˈba-tᵊl-ˌfēld How to pronounce battlefield (audio)
1
: a place where a battle is fought
2
: an area of conflict

Examples of battlefield in a Sentence

Hundreds of dead soldiers lay on the battlefield. wounded soldiers being carried off the battlefield
Recent Examples on the Web Our Coverage of the Israel-Hamas War Electronic Warfare: Radio frequency interference in the Middle East and Ukraine, a tactic used to disrupt the satellite signals used by rockets, drones and other weaponry, is affecting civilian air travel far from the battlefields. Katherine Rosman, New York Times, 21 Nov. 2023 In recent weeks, Russian forces have been trying to steal the initiative on the battlefield by launching significant attacks on Ukrainian positions in eastern Ukraine. Tom Soufi Burridge, ABC News, 21 Nov. 2023 To back Ukraine on the battlefield, for instance, E.U. countries pledged in the spring to deliver 1 million rounds of ammunition within a year. Emily Rauhala, Washington Post, 20 Nov. 2023 The current situation on the battlefield yields a glass-half-full, glass-half-empty picture. Richard Haass and Charles Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 17 Nov. 2023 But the chaos is typically part of a larger narrative designed to provide reassurance that war delivers victory and a sense of order: The soldier is rescued, the battlefield directive is successfully fulfilled. Mark Athitakis, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2023 Conricus, speaking on CNN today, said that the pauses in the most active part of the battlefield in northern Gaza were scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and that civilians in the area were forewarned and urged to flee south. NBC News, 6 Nov. 2023 Guests can also explore more recent history, with day trips to battlefields of the 1879 Anglo-Zulu War. Heather Richardson, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2023 At the time, Meyer wasn't hurt badly enough to leave the battlefield. Steve Karnowski, arkansasonline.com, 11 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'battlefield.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1813, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of battlefield was in 1813

Dictionary Entries Near battlefield

Cite this Entry

“Battlefield.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/battlefield. Accessed 30 Nov. 2023.

Kids Definition

battlefield

noun
bat·​tle·​field -ˌfēld How to pronounce battlefield (audio)
: a place where a battle is fought or was once fought

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