battle
n. countablen. a fight between two groups of people, especially in a war. You can also use it to describe a long or difficult struggle against a problem.
n. a sustained fight between large organized armed forces; by extension, any protracted struggle or conflict between opposing groups or ideas.
The soldiers prepared for a long battle.
The local community won a legal battle to stop the construction of a new highway through the park.
Historians often debate whether the outcome of a single battle can truly alter the trajectory of a civilization or if broader economic forces are more decisive.
From Middle English batel, batell, batelle, batayle, bataylle, borrowed from Old French bataille, from Late Latin battālia, variant of battuālia (“fighting and fencing exercises”) from Latin battuō (“to strike, hit, beat, fight”), of uncertain origin. Possibly from a Gaulish or Proto-Germanic root from Proto-Indo-European bʰedʰ- (“to stab, dig”), related to Old English beado (“battle”); or possibly from a Proto-Indo-European bʰew- (“to hit, strike, beat”). Doublet of battalia and battel. Displaced native Old English ġefeoht, beado, camp, and wīg (“battle”), among others.
From Early Modern English batell, probably from Middle English batel (“flourishing”), from Old English batol (“improving, tending to be good”), from batian (“to get better, improve”) + -ol ( + -le).
Often takes the prepositions 'against', 'with', or 'between'.