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

In 1965, mid-way through the conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, Black Americans filled 31% of the ground combat battalions in Vietnam, nearly triple the percentage of Black Americans as a minority in the general U.S. population at the time (12%). —Natasha Gural, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024

Blinken determined last April that the battalion had committed gross human rights violations, but found that the IDF had taken action to address the U.S. concerns. —Barak Ravid, Axios, 21 Oct. 2024

Back at the table, Fiend started explaining the setup: The battalion’s headquarters were across the street. —Sarah A. Topol, New York Times, 20 Sep. 2024

On August 6, a powerful Ukrainian force—a dozen or so 400-person battalions from as many as eight different brigades—invaded Russia’s Kursk Oblast, quickly capturing 400 square miles of the oblast from its unprepared Russian defenders. —David Axe, Forbes, 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