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

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said during a visit to Washington, D.C. on Wednesday that Vilnius was pleased to host U.S. rotational battalions in the country, and that the Baltic state was ready to accept more American troops, according to a readout published by the foreign ministry. —Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025

He later was acquitted of the six counts, including insubordination, but the court-martial prevented him from deploying to fight in Europe with his battalion. —Terence Moore, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025

The six-episode drama, directed by Ahmed Abdullahi, is inspired by the challenges faced by the first Swedish U.N. battalion, sent to Bosnia in 1993. —Marta Balaga, Variety, 23 Mar. 2025

Massive snow clouds like battalions have smothered the sunlight. —Joyce Carol Oates, The New Yorker, 16 Mar. 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