Definition of: battle

(bat′l) noun
1. A combat between hostile armies or fleets; a military or naval engagement.
2. Armed combat.
3. Any fighting, conflict, or struggle: to do battle for a cause.
4. Obs. A battalion.
—v. bat·tled, bat·tling v.i. To contend in or as in battle; struggle; strive.
—v.t. To fight. See synonyms under CONTEND, DISPUTE. [<OF bataille <LL battalia gladiators' exercises <battuere beat]
—bat′tler noun Synonyms (noun): action, affair, bout, combat, conflict, contest, encounter, engagement, fight, skirmish, strife. Conflict is a general word which describes opponents, whether individuals or hosts, as dashed together. One continuous conflict between entire armies is a battle. Another battle may be fought upon the same field after a considerable interval; or a new battle may follow immediately, the armies meeting upon a new field. An action is brief and partial; a battle may last for days. Engagement is a somewhat formal expression for battle. A protracted war, including many battles, may be a stubborn contest. Combat, originally a hostile encounter between individuals, is now used also for extensive engagements. A skirmish is between small detachments or scattered troops. An encounter may be either purposed or accidental, between individuals or armed forces. Fight is a word of less dignity than battle; we should not ordinarily speak of Waterloo as a fight, unless where the word is used in the sense of fighting; as, I was in the thick of the fight. Antonyms: armistice, concord, peace, truce.