battle and combat share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. battle means “a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war”. combat means “an engagement fought between two military forces”. battle is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈbætəl/
1.n.a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
“Grant won a decisive victory in the battle of Chickamauga”
2.n.an energetic attempt to achieve something
“getting through the crowd was a real struggle”
3.n.an open clash between two opposing groups (or individuals)
“the harder the conflict the more glorious the triumph”
/ˈkɑmbæt/
1.n.an engagement fought between two military forces
2.n.the act of fighting; any contest or struggle
“a fight broke out at the hockey game”
3.v.battle or contend against in or as if in a battle
“The Kurds are combating Iraqi troops in Northern Iraq”
| battle | combat | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈbætəl/ | /ˈkɑmbæt/ |
| Said | BAT-uhl | KAHM-bat |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 6 | 6 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | noun, verb |
| Senses | 4 | 3 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | conflict, fight, engagement | armed combat |
Full entry for battle · Full entry for combat · More comparisons