combat

1 of 3

noun

com·​bat ˈkäm-ˌbat 

1

: a fight or contest between individuals or groups

2

: conflict, controversy

3

: active fighting in a war : action

casualties suffered in combat

combat

2 of 3

verb

com·​bat kəm-ˈbat 

ˈkäm-ˌba-

combated or combatted; combating or combatting

intransitive verb

: to engage in combat : fight

transitive verb

1

: to fight with : battle

2

: to struggle against

especially : to strive to reduce or eliminate

combat pollution

combat

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adjective

com·​bat ˈkäm-ˌbat 

1

: relating to combat

combat missions

2

: designed or destined for combat

combat boots

combat troops

Synonyms

Noun

• action
• battle
• field

Verb

• battle
• clash (with)
• fight
• scrimmage (with)
• skirmish (with)
• war (against)

Choose the Right Synonym for combat

oppose, combat, resist, withstand mean to set oneself against someone or something.

oppose can apply to any conflict, from mere objection to bitter hostility or warfare.

opposed the plan

combat stresses the forceful or urgent countering of something.

combat disease

resist implies an overt recognition of a hostile or threatening force and a positive effort to counteract or repel it.

resisting temptation

withstand suggests a more passive resistance.

trying to withstand peer pressure

Examples of combat in a Sentence

Noun

Some of these soldiers have never seen combat.

He was killed in combat.

Verb

The drug helps combat infection.

She dedicated her life to combating poverty.

Exercise can help combat the effects of stress.

The mayor pledged to combat crime.

They have been combating the rebels for months.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Maria Zaitseva, the founder of the charity, Unbreakable Kharkiv, distributes humanitarian aid and helps evacuate people from combat areas. —Patrick Reevell, ABC News, 21 June 2024

Mangroves, comprised of trees that grow in saline water, typically where rivers meet the sea, are biodiversity hotspots and act as huge carbon sinks, helping combat climate change. —Kamalpreet Singh, Travel + Leisure, 19 June 2024

Verb

Vaccines expose your immune cells to inactivated versions of a pathogen, providing them with practice sessions to recognize and combat the real threat with speed and precision. —Discover Magazine, 22 June 2024

And when birth rates dip to extreme lows, countries often take extreme (and fairly silly and usually ineffective) measures to combat it, from state-run dating apps to declaring a national emergency. —Kelsey Piper, Vox, 21 June 2024

Adjective

Players represent the Axis powers and the Allied powers, and in every turn get to make both combat and non-combat moves across the globe as well as decide what military units to build and whether or not to fund research. —Julianne Hilmes Bartlett, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Mar. 2022

In a recent visit to Baghdad to meet with Iraqi leaders, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said U.S. forces are ready to remain in Iraq, in a non-combat role, at the invitation of the government. —Lolita C. Baldor and Tara Copp, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Mar. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Anglo-French, from combatre to attack, fight, from Vulgar Latin *combattere, from Latin com- + battuere to beat

First Known Use

Noun

1546, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1564, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Adjective

1825, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing combat

• combat fatigue
• hors de combat
• mortal combat
• single combat

Kids Definition

combat

1 of 2 noun

com·​bat ˈkäm-ˌbat 

1

: a fight or contest between individuals or groups

2

: conflict entry 1 sense 2

3

: active fighting in a war : action

soldiers experienced in combat

combat

2 of 2 verb

com·​bat kəm-ˈbat 

ˈkäm-ˌbat

combated or combatted; combating or combatting

1

: to fight with : battle

2

: to struggle against

especially : to strive to reduce or eliminate

combat disease