battalion

noun

bat·​tal·​ion bə-ˈtal-yən How to pronounce battalion (audio)
Synonyms of battalionnext
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 of battalion

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Examples of battalion in a Sentence

a battalion of angry protesters the nation's battalions were forced to fight on two fronts simultaneously
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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The city plans to use the funds to add a battalion chief, demolish and reconstruct Fire Stations 33 and 37, build a training center and an additional fire station, purchase another ladder truck and two more ambulances and hire 36 more firefighters. — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026 Soldiers from a separate task force rifle battalion of the National Police of Ukraine in the Zaporizhzhia region carry a GARA UAV to a shelter in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, October 16, 2026. — Anastasiia Parafeniuk, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2026 Mazor said the military recognized the scale of settler violence and has sent additional battalions to the West Bank to contain it. — Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026 The East Palestine fire battalion chief, who is also the Columbiana County Emergency Management deputy director, and his colleagues across various neighboring agencies quickly realized the magnitude of the event. — Lauren Linder, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for battalion

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of battalion was in 1579

Rhymes for battalion

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Browse Nearby Words

battalia
battalion
Battambang
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Cite this Entry

“Battalion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/battalion. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

battalion

noun
bat·​tal·​ion bə-ˈtal-yən How to pronounce battalion (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on battalion

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about battalion

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