battle

UK: /ˈbæt^əl/ US: /ˈbætəl/ ,(bat′l)

Inflections of 'battle' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

battles

v 3rd person singular

battling

v pres p

battled

v past

battled

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

bat•tle¹ /ˈbætəl/   n., v., -tled, -tling. 
n. 

1. Military a fight between two opposing military forces:
   [countable] Several important battles took place for control of this seaport.
   [uncountable] He got a medal for wounds received in battle.
2. any conflict between two persons, groups, etc.:
   [countable] the battle of the sexes.

v. 

3. to fight (with an opponent) in a conflict: [no object]
   The two armies battled furiously.
   [~ + against/with + object]
   battling against inflation and unemployment; They battled with the Germans for control of the sea.
   [~ + object]
   battled the Germans for control of the sea.
   [~ + for + object]
   battling for his life.
4. to struggle;
   try to accomplish or achieve: [~ + to + verb]
   battling to reduce our taxes.
   [~ + object + to + verb]
   battling the big car companies to lower their prices.

See -bat-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

bat•tle¹  (bat′l), n., v., -tled, -tling. 
n. 

1. Military a hostile encounter or engagement between opposing military forces:
   the battle of Waterloo.
2. Military participation in such hostile encounters or engagements:
   wounds received in battle.
3. a fight between two persons or animals:
   ordering a trial by battle to settle the dispute.
4. any conflict or struggle:
   a battle for control of the Senate.
5. Military [Archaic.] a battalion.
6. Idioms give or do battle, to enter into conflict;
   fight:
   He was ready to do battle for his beliefs.

v.i. 

7. to engage in battle:
   ready to battle with the enemy.
8. to work very hard or struggle;
   strive:
   to battle for freedom.

v.t. 

9. to fight (a person, army, cause, etc.):
   We battled strong winds and heavy rains in our small boat.
10. to force or accomplish by fighting, struggling, etc.:
    He battled his way to the top of his profession.

• Vulgar Latin *battālia for Late Latin battuālia (neuter plural) gladiatorial exercises, equivalent. to battu(ere) to strike (see bate²) + -ālia, neuter plural of -ālis -al²
• Old French
• Middle English bataile 1250–1300

bat′tler, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. contest, conflict, war.
  Battle, action, skirmish mean a conflict between organized armed forces. A battle is a prolonged and general conflict pursued to a definite decision:
  the Battle of the Bulge in World War II.
  A skirmish is a slight engagement, often on the periphery of an area of battle:
  several minor skirmishes.
  An action can be a battle or a skirmish or can refer to actual fighting or combat:
  a major military action; action along the border; He saw action in the campaign.
• 2. warfare, combat, fighting.
• 6. conflict.
• 8. contest.

bat•tle²  (bat′l), v.t., -tled, -tling. [Archaic.]

1. Architecture to furnish (a building or wall) with battlements;
   crenelate.

• Middle French bataillier to provide with batailles. See battlement
• Middle English batailen 1300–50

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

battle / ˈbæt^əl/ noun

1. a fight between large armed forces; military or naval engagement; combat
2. conflict; contention; struggle

verb

1. when intr, often followed by against, for, or with: to fight in or as if in military combat; contend (with)
2. to struggle in order to achieve something or arrive somewhere: he battled through the crowd
3. (intransitive) to scrape a living, esp by doing odd jobs

Etymology: 13th Century: from Old French bataile, from Late Latin battālia exercises performed by soldiers, from battuere to beat

ˈbattler noun

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

Battle / ˈbæt^əl/ noun

1. a town in SE England, in East Sussex: site of the Battle of Hastings (1066); medieval abbey. Pop: 5190 (2001)

Battle / ˈbæt^əl/ noun

1. Kathleen. born 1948, US opera singer: a coloratura soprano, she made her professional debut in 1972 and sang with New York City's Metropolitan Opera (1977–94)