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

Boles served as a battalion chief at Hillsborough County Fire Rescue. —Yacob Reyes, Axios, 1 Nov. 2024

But there’s a problem with fires Oct. 12, 2023 Safety basics These batteries are generally safe with proper care and storage, said Robert Rezende, San Diego Fire-Rescue Department battalion chief and the region’s first lithium-ion battery safety coordinator. —Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2024

Forty-nine former Australian tanks would be enough to bring the brigade’s current tank battalion back up to full strength. —David Axe, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024

The premise centered on five young pilots in a battalion named the Robot Lions, which are vehicles that join together to form a mega-robot known as Voltron. —Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Oct. 2024

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

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