battalion

IPA/bəˈtæliən/
KK[bətˈæljən]IPA/bəˈtæliən/

battalion — noun

1. an army unit formed from several companies that fight or work under one command

1.nounB2
Definition

an army unit formed from several companies that fight or work under one command

Example

The battalion moved across the valley before sunrise and secured the road.

battalion as an army unit under one command

Bao served in a medical battalion that set up tents after the flood.

serve in a battalion

Common collocations
  • infantry battalion
  • medical battalion
  • serve in a battalion
Synonyms
  • company

    a smaller military unit, often one part of a battalion

  • regiment

    often a larger or broader military formation with several battalions

  • brigade

    a larger formation that can contain several battalions

Grammar Patterns

an infantry battalion

serve in a battalion

lead a battalion

Usage Note

Used for an official military formation, not for any small group of soldiers. A battalion is usually larger than a company and smaller than a brigade.

Common Mistakes

The police formed a battalion to manage traffic downtown.
The police formed a unit to manage traffic downtown.
Battalion is mainly a military term, not the normal word for a civilian team.

2. a very large number of people, especially when they seem organized or all arrive

2.nounC1
Definition

a very large number of people, especially when they seem organized or all arrive together

Example

After the singer arrived, a battalion of reporters filled the hotel lobby.

battalion of + plural noun for a large crowd

Dahlia brought a battalion of cousins to help decorate the wedding hall.

Common collocations
  • a battalion of reporters
  • battalions of fans
  • a battalion of lawyers
Synonyms
  • crowd

    the ordinary word for many people together, without the organized-force image

  • host

    a large number, often in literary or dramatic style

  • army

    can also mean a large group of people, but is more common and less specific in tone

Grammar Patterns

a battalion of reporters

battalions of fans

send in a battalion of lawyers

Usage Note

Usually appears in a figurative way to stress size and force, often with a tone of exaggeration. It is more vivid than simply saying a lot of people.

Common Mistakes

A battalion of apples fell from the tree.
A huge number of apples fell from the tree.
This figurative sense is mainly used for groups of people, not ordinary objects.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

In military English, these words name units of different sizes and roles. A company is a smaller unit led more directly and used for local tasks. A battalion is larger, combining several companies so they can fight or work under one command. A regiment often names a longer-standing military formation and may include one or more battalions, depending on the army. A brigade is larger again and can direct several battalions in one operation. If Bao serves in a battalion, the focus is on his working fighting unit. If a general commands a brigade, the focus is on a higher level of control.

company ↗battalion ↗regiment ↗brigade ↗

Etymology

ItalianFrenchEnglish

Battalion came into English through French from an Italian word meaning a battle group. From the start, it referred to an organized body of soldiers moving and fighting together, which explains why the modern word still suggests a large unit acting under one command.

First known use

1579

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1