battle and engagement 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”. engagement means “a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war”. 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 | engagement | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈbætəl/ | /ɛnˈɡeɪdʒmənt/ |
| Said | BAT-uhl | en-GAYJ-muhnt |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Letters | 6 | 10 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | noun |
| Senses | 4 | 7 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | conflict, fight, engagement | battle, conflict, fight |
Full entry for battle · Full entry for engagement · More comparisons
/ɛnˈɡeɪdʒmənt/
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.a meeting arranged in advance
“she asked how to avoid kissing at the end of a date”
3.n.a mutual promise to marry