battle

The word “battle” means a fight between opposing armed forces, especially as part of a larger war. In plain terms, an armed fight, or, more broadly, any hard struggle or contest.

“Battle” is pronounced BATL (/ˈbætl̩/ in IPA).

Here is “battle” used in a sentence: “The battle raged for three days before either side retreated.”

Depending on how it is used, “battle” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “battle” comes from Latin. From Old French bataille, ultimately from Latin battuo, "to beat or strike.".

“Battle” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

“Battle” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a fight between opposing armed forces, especially as part of a larger war.

A battle is a single, contained clash between opposing forces, usually fought at one place and time. A war is the larger, ongoing conflict made up of many battles, together with politics, strategy, and long stretches without fighting. This is why you can lose a battle yet still win the war.

Both are armed clashes, but scale sets them apart. A skirmish is a small, often brief and unplanned encounter between limited numbers of troops. A battle is larger and more decisive, involving major forces and a clear objective, and it usually carries far greater weight in the outcome of a war.

Yes. Beyond armed combat, 'battle' commonly describes any hard struggle — a battle against illness, a legal battle, or a battle of wills. In these uses it keeps the sense of sustained effort against a strong opponent or obstacle, even when no physical fighting is involved at all.

The Battle of Waterloo in 1815 is a classic example: opposing armies met on a single field, and the result ended Napoleon's rule. Like most battles, it was one decisive engagement within a wider war, remembered for its scale and for its lasting political consequences across Europe.