combat
combat — noun
1. active fighting between armed forces during a war, where soldiers or military un
active fighting between armed forces during a war, where soldiers or military units try to defeat each other by using weapons or direct force.
The young soldiers faced their first combat at dawn near the river.
faced combat — collocation pattern
After months of intense combat, the troops finally secured the area.
intense combat — adjective collocation
Doctors treated many injuries caused by combat in the field hospital.
Combat experience helped the veteran stay calm when the alarm sounded.
The general sent fresh troops into combat to support the frontline unit.
sent into combat — prepositional pattern
- combat zone
- combat mission
- combat training
- combat experience
- in combat
- into combat
- intense combat
- hand-to-hand combat
- battle
refers to a single, named military fight (e.g. the Battle of Normandy); more specific than combat
- warfare
covers the whole activity, strategy, and methods of war; broader than combat
- engagement
a formal term for a short fight between military units; more technical
- action
used in military contexts for active fighting; e.g. 'killed in action'
Grammar Patterns
combat + noun (modifier, e.g. combat zone)
in combat
into combat
Usage Note
In this sense, combat is usually uncountable when describing the general activity of fighting in a war. When used as a countable noun, it refers to a specific fight or engagement (e.g. 'a bitter combat between two battalions').
Common Mistakes
2. a situation in which two people, groups, or opposing forces struggle against eac
a situation in which two people, groups, or opposing forces struggle against each other, either physically or through arguments, competition, or clashing interests.
The two companies are locked in legal combat over the patent rights.
locked in combat — fixed expression
Political combat between the rival parties grew more intense each week.
The council meeting turned into a verbal combat about the budget cuts.
verbal combat — figurative use
A fierce combat broke out between supporters of the two football clubs.
- legal combat
- political combat
- verbal combat
- fierce combat
- locked in combat
- combat between
- combat over
Grammar Patterns
combat + between (two sides)
combat + over (an issue)
combat + among (a group)
Usage Note
Unlike sense 1, this sense is always countable and is often used figuratively for arguments, disputes, or competitions. It has a formal or dramatic tone — for everyday disagreements, 'argument', 'dispute', or 'fight' are more natural.
Common Mistakes
combat — verb
1. to take strong action to prevent, reduce, or stop something bad from growing or
to take strong action to prevent, reduce, or stop something bad from growing or causing harm — such as a disease, crime, social problem, or other unwanted condition.
The government launched a new plan to combat rising crime in the city.
to combat + [problem] — infinitive of purpose
Doctors are testing a drug that combats the early stages of the disease.
Schools across the region introduced special programs to combat bullying.
A balanced diet and regular exercise can combat the effects of long-term stress.
can combat — modal + infinitive pattern
The organization works to combat poverty by providing education and job training.
- combat crime
- combat disease
- combat poverty
- combat terrorism
- combat climate change
- combat the effects of
- combat the spread of
- combat inequality
- fight
more common and less formal; used in both physical and non-physical contexts
- tackle
suggests dealing with a problem directly and energetically; common in British English
- oppose
to disagree with and try to prevent something, often through arguments or policy
- counter
to act against something in order to reduce its effect
Grammar Patterns
combat + noun phrase (a problem, disease, crime)
to combat + noun phrase (infinitive of purpose)
combat + the effects/impact/spread of + noun phrase
Usage Note
This sense always takes a direct object — typically an abstract noun referring to something harmful (crime, disease, poverty, inequality, climate change). Never used intransitively. 'Fight' and 'tackle' can replace 'combat' in most contexts with a less formal tone.
Common Mistakes
2. to use physical force or effort to fight against an enemy, a natural force, or a
to use physical force or effort to fight against an enemy, a natural force, or any opponent in a direct confrontation.
The firefighters combated the forest fire for three days before rain fell.
combat + a natural force (fire)
Rescue workers combated flood waters to reach the stranded families on the hill.
The soldiers combated the opposing army across the muddy field all morning.
Police combated the violent crowd with shields and water cannons.
combat + [group] with [tools] — instrumental pattern
- combat a fire
- combat flood waters
- combat an enemy
- combat a crowd
Grammar Patterns
combat + noun phrase (enemy, fire, flood)
combat + against + noun phrase
Usage Note
In everyday English, 'fight' is much more common than 'combat' for physical fighting. 'Combat' sounds more formal or official, and is often used in news reports or military contexts. Frequently transitive, but can be used intransitively (e.g. 'The troops combated fiercely throughout the night').
Common Mistakes
combat — adjective
1. relating to or associated with the activity of fighting during a war — used befo
relating to or associated with the activity of fighting during a war — used before a noun to describe things connected to military combat.
The museum displayed combat uniforms and weapons from both world wars.
combat + uniform — attributive adjective pattern
The veteran struggled with combat memories long after the war ended.
The film shows real combat conditions from a soldier's point of view.
The journalist was embedded with a combat unit during the offensive.
combat unit — military noun phrase
- combat uniform
- combat boots
- combat zone
- combat unit
- combat experience
- combat conditions
- combat training
- combat mission
- combat medic
Grammar Patterns
combat + noun (used before a noun only)
Usage Note
Used only before a noun (attributive position). Cannot be used after a linking verb ('The conditions were combat ✗'). In this sense, the noun that follows is related to the general context of war fighting — equipment, experiences, personnel, environments.
Common Mistakes
2. specially built, designed, or intended to be used in active fighting during a wa
specially built, designed, or intended to be used in active fighting during a war — describing equipment or vehicles made for battlefield use.
The army ordered new combat vehicles equipped with night-vision technology.
combat vehicles — equipment designed for battle
The squadron received the latest combat aircraft for long-range missions.
The base keeps a large supply of combat equipment ready for quick deployment.
The marines trained with the new combat knife before their deployment abroad.
- combat vehicle
- combat aircraft
- combat helicopter
- combat drone
- combat gear
- combat equipment
- combat knife
- combat ship
- battle
similar attributive use, as in 'battle tank' or 'battle gear'; slightly less formal
- fighting
used in 'fighting vehicle'; more descriptive than technical
- military-grade
emphasises the quality and specifications needed for combat
- civilian
designed for non-military, everyday use
Grammar Patterns
combat + noun (vehicle, aircraft, equipment)
Usage Note
This sense overlaps closely with sense 1, but emphasises purpose and design rather than general relation. A 'combat vehicle' is built specifically for fighting (armoured, armed), while 'combat experience' (sense 1) refers to the experience of fighting, not something designed for it.
Word family
- combatantnounC2
- combatantadjectiveC2
- combativeadjectiveC2
- combativenessnounC2
- non-combatadjectiveC2
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
Combat (noun/1, 'FIGHTING IN WAR') refers to the active physical fighting between armed forces during a war. 'Battle' is a more specific term for a single, named military fight — the Battle of Iwo Jima is a battle, not just combat. 'Warfare' is much broader, covering the entire system, strategy, and methods of waging war, including logistics and technology. 'Conflict' is the most general term of the group — it can describe a military war, a political dispute, or a personal disagreement, and it doesn't require physical fighting. 'Engagement' is a formal, technical word for a short encounter between military units. For example: 'The soldier saw combat every day' means he was in active fighting. 'Modern warfare relies on drones' refers to how wars are fought overall. 'The conflict has lasted ten years' describes the whole situation. 'The two units had a brief engagement at dawn' describes one specific skirmish.
Common collocations
Nouns
- zone
- operations
- training
- experience
- readiness
Adverbs
- fiercely
Phrases
- hand-to-hand combat
- in combat
- out of combat
- locked in combat
Prepositions
- between
- over
- against
Etymology
Combat entered English in the early 1500s from French combattre, which came from the Latin word combattere — a combination of com- (together, with each other) and battuere (to beat or strike). The original meaning was simply 'to fight with someone,' and the word has stayed close to that core idea for over 500 years.