battle and conflict 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”. conflict means “an open clash between two opposing groups (or individuals)”. 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”
| battle | conflict | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈbætəl/ | /ˈkɑnflɪkt/ |
| Said | BAT-uhl | KAHN-flikt |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 6 | 8 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | noun, verb |
| Senses | 4 | 9 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | conflict, fight, engagement | struggle, battle |
Full entry for battle · Full entry for conflict · More comparisons
/ˈkɑnflɪkt/
1.n.an open clash between two opposing groups (or individuals)
“the harder the conflict the more glorious the triumph”
2.n.opposition between two simultaneous but incompatible feelings
“he was immobilized by conflict and indecision”
3.n.a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
“Grant won a decisive victory in the battle of Chickamauga”