battle

1 of 3

noun

bat·​tle ˈba-tᵊl 

plural battles

1

: a hostile encounter between opposing military forces

the battle of Normandy

soldiers who fell in battle

—sometimes used before another noun

battle gear

2

: a usually lengthy contest, struggle, or controversy

a child custody battle

legal battles

… Detective Madison spends the film locked in a battle of wits with a criminal who always manages to stay one step ahead of him.

—Brad Sanders

3

: a struggle to succeed or survive

her battle with cancer

… I came home and faced an uphill battle to gain support for the treaty in the U.S. Senate.

—Al Gore

4

: a combat between two persons

specifically, history : the combat by which disputes were legally decided

In spite of the appeal of trial by battle to the imagination and plotlines of Victorian novels and Hollywood films, it was an uncommon event.

—Norman F. Cantor

5

archaic : battalion

battle

2 of 3

verb (1)

battled; battling

ˈbat-liŋ,

ˈba-tᵊl-iŋ  ; battles

intransitive verb

1

: to engage in combat between individuals or armed forces : to engage in battle : fight

battling for control of the bridge

2

: to contend with full strength, vigor, skill, or resources : struggle

They battled to keep their son out of jail.

battling over how to spend the money

transitive verb

1

: to fight or struggle against

battling cancer

two teams set to battle each other for the championship

battling it out in the courtroom

2

: to force, thrust, or drive by battling

battling his way through the crowd

battler

ˈbat-lər

ˈba-tᵊl-ər 

noun

plural battlers

… will no doubt continue to be the Senate's boldest battler for … justice …

—John Nichols

… a player who sweats: a fighter, a battler, a tireless worker who never stops.

—Sam Borden

battle

3 of 3

verb (2)

battled; battling; battles

transitive verb

archaic

: to fortify with battlements

… beneath the battled tower.

—Alfred Tennyson

Phrases

do battle

: to engage in a fight or struggle

… used to do battle with the fearless radicals of the Socialist Workers Party …

—Salman Rushdie

half the battle

: an important and necessary part of doing or achieving something

I think you will prosper, for the sincere wish to be good is half the battle.

—Louisa May Alcott

In the positioning war, half the battle is picking the right enemy.

—Ted Morgan

—often used with words like only and just to stress that something is not enough by itself to achieve a desired goal

Selecting which partners and investors to woo is only half the battle. Knowing how to pitch them is equally important.

—Michelle Goodman

in the heat of (the) battle

: while fighting a battle

soldiers in the heat of battle

—often used figuratively

When it comes to devising a game plan or making a key decision in the heat of battle, is there any coach you'd rather have than Bill Belichick?

—Brian Baldinger

battle it out

: to engage in a prolonged fight, argument, or struggle

The two sides battled it out in court.

… predicting that she and her 15-year-old sister, Serena, would soon be battling it out for No. 1.

—S. L. Price

Synonyms

Noun

• fight
• struggle
• fray
• effort

Verb (1)

• compete
• fight
• race
• contend

Examples of battle in a Sentence

Noun

That two-day conflict has become one of the most famous battles in history.

The battle continued late into the night.

Thousands of soldiers were willing to go into battle to fight the enemy.

A police officer was injured in a gun battle that took place last night.

The company was involved in a legal battle with one of its employees.

the never-ending battle between good and evil

Verb (1)

the two teams, which have long been archrivals, will battle on the court for the state championship

the two top-seeded tennis players battled each other for almost three hours

the two armies battled each other for control of the bridge

we must battle hunger and poverty wherever they exist

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

While the legal battle is ongoing, the judge's ruling is an early win for the states and a setback for the Trump administration. —Camila Domonoske, NPR, 25 June 2025

That same month, Adams withdrew his candidacy for the Democratic primary, saying the legal battle had prevented him from effectively campaigning. —Solcyré Burga, Time, 25 June 2025

Verb

As mechanized as a race — or a movie — can feel, success or failure hinge on the human element, the hero battling the gremlins in the machine. —Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2025

Six engines, one water tender and two hand crews will continue to battle the fire. —Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 26 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English batel, from Anglo-French bataille battle, battalion, from Late Latin battalia combat, alteration of battualia fencing exercises, from Latin battuere to beat

Verb (1)

Middle English bataillen, borrowed from Anglo-French batailler, verbal derivative of bataille battle entry 1

Verb (2)

Middle English batailen, from Anglo-French bataillier to fortify with battlements, from Old French batailles battlemented tower, probably from plural of bataille battle

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Verb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing battle

• battle-ax
• battle-axe
• battle/clash of wills
• battle cruiser
• battle cry
• battle dress uniform
• battle fatigue
• battle it out
• battle line
• battle of the sexes
• battle of wits
• battle rope
• battle royal
• battle royale
• custody battle
• do battle
• field of battle
• fight a losing battle
• in battle
• join battle
• order of battle
• pitched battle
• pre-battle
• running battle
• trial by battle
• uphill battle

Rhymes for battle

• battel
• brattle
• cattle
• chattel
• prattle
• rattle
• tattle
• striatal

Kids Definition

battle

1 of 2 noun

bat·​tle ˈbat-ᵊl 

1

: a fight between two persons

trial by battle

2

: a fight between armies, warships, or airplanes

3

: a long or hard struggle or contest

a battle of wits

battle

2 of 2 verb

battled; battling ˈbat-liŋ 

-ᵊl-iŋ

1

: to engage in battle

2

: contend sense 2, struggle

battle for a cause

3

: to fight against

battling a forest fire

battler

-lər 

-ᵊl-ər

noun