embattlement

noun

em·​bat·​tle·​ment im-ˈba-tᵊl-mənt How to pronounce embattlement (audio)
1
2
: the state of being embattled

Examples of embattlement in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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After a long career of constant crisis, of triumph and embattlement, Lula looks his age. Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2023 Even in Tehran, fundamentalist leaders gained political legitimacy from the external embattlement. Sheelah Kolhatkar, The New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2022 For disparate Germans to come together required a common sense of embattlement. Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2022 Accurate reporting and erroneous articles alike bred a deep sense of embattlement in Palo Alto. Ben Smith, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2021 Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky and the Civil War Battery Hooper, a hillside cannon embattlement, was part of a ring of defenses set up across Northern Kentucky. Chris Mayhew, The Enquirer, 13 Sep. 2021 The physicality of conflict may be out of sight, but the tension of living in a constant state of embattlement is palpable. Danielle Avram, Dallas News, 28 Jan. 2021 The sense of embattlement that Trump and other Republican politicians encouraged throughout the pandemic primed many conservatives to assume Democratic foul play even before voting began. Luke Mogelson, The New Yorker, 15 Jan. 2021 But his embattlement also colors the regular work of electioneering, which always involves upbeat rallies and hopeful promises. Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 2020

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of embattlement was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near embattlement

Cite this Entry

“Embattlement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/embattlement. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.

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