Meaning & use
battlefield
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Meanings
nouncountable
An area of land where a battle takes place or took place.
Grammar: Countable: a battlefield, the battlefields.
Patterns
- on the battlefield
- a battlefield site
Thousands of soldiers died on the battlefield.
The tour guide explained the history of the battlefield.
They visited the battlefield where the famous battle was fought.
nouncountablefigurative
A place or situation of fierce competition or conflict.
Grammar: Countable; often used figuratively.
Patterns
- a political battlefield
- a battlefield of ideas
The classroom has become a battlefield over education policy.
The election turned the state into a political battlefield.
Word forms
| plural | battlefields |
|---|
Common combinations
- on the battlefield
- He showed great courage on the battlefield.
- battlefield site
- The battlefield site is now a national park.
- battlefield promotion
- He received a battlefield promotion for his bravery.
- battlefield medicine
- Battlefield medicine has advanced greatly in recent years.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- battle noun
- A fight between armed forces.
- battlefield noun
- The area where a battle takes place.
Commonly confused: battlefield or battleground?
battlefield vs battleground
Battleground is similar but often emphasizes the location as a place of ongoing conflict; battlefield is more common for historical sites.
Practice
The two companies are fighting for market share; the industry has become a ___.
Choose one answer.
Battlefield is commonly used figuratively to mean any fiercely contested area. Battleground is also possible, but battlefield is the standard choice in this context.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “battlefield”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.