A fight between organized groups, especially armies, during a war. It can also describe a serious struggle or contest between people, ideas, or forces.
It comes from Old French “bataille,” from Late Latin “battualia,” meaning fighting or fencing exercises, from “battuere,” to beat. The root idea is repeated striking.
At its core, “battle” is about repeated blows—physically or metaphorically. That’s why we talk about battling illness, addiction, or homework; the word captures the exhausting back-and-forth of trying not to be beaten.
Warfare and “battle” have often been narrated as exclusively male domains, erasing women’s roles as combatants, strategists, resistors, and support personnel. Metaphors like “battle of the sexes” have also framed gender relations as inherently adversarial.
Avoid metaphors like “battle of the sexes” and do not assume combatants are male when that is not historically or factually required. Use neutral terms like “fighters,” “combatants,” or “participants.”
["conflict","struggle","fight","contest"]
Women have played critical roles in resistance movements, military intelligence, logistics, and direct combat across history, even when official records minimized or omitted their contributions.
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