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

• army
• array
• host
• legion

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

The picture is similar at the Fire Department, where the top ten each earned over $500,000, led by the battalion chief with $905,060. —John Hart, Oc Register, 25 June 2025

There will also be six battalion chiefs on the scene, along with a division chief, a deputy chief and a chief of operations. —Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 June 2025

The military said the battalion uses real-time detection and jamming tools to neutralize aerial threats, adding a critical layer to Israel's multi-tiered air defense network. —Amanda Castro hannah Parry shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 June 2025

Last night, Trump ordered the deployment of another 2,000 National Guard members as well as a full Marine battalion based in Southern California. —Jade Walker, CNN Money, 10 June 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