Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense combats, present participle combating, present participle combatting, past tense, past participle combated, past tense, past participle combattedpronunciation note: The noun is pronounced (kɒmbæt). The verb is pronounced (kəmbæt).
1. uncountable noun
Combat is fighting that takes place in a war.
Over 16 million men had died in combat.
Yesterday saw hand-to-hand combat in the city.
...combat aircraft.
Synonyms: fight, war, action, battle More Synonyms of combat
2. countable noun
A combat is a battle, or a fight between two people.
It was the end of a long combat.
3. verb
If people in authority combat something, they try to stop it happening.
Congress has criticised new government measures to combat crime. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: fight, battle against, oppose, contest More Synonyms of combat
combat in British English
noun (ˈkɒmbæt, -bət, ˈkʌm-)
1.
a fight, conflict, or struggle
2.
a.
an action fought between two military forces
b.
(as modifier)
a combat jacket
3. single combat
4. close combat
verb (kəmˈbæt, ˈkɒmbæt, ˈkʌm-)Word forms: -bats, -bating or -bated
5. (transitive)
to fight or defy
6. (intr; often foll by with or against)
to struggle or strive (against); be in conflict (with)
to combat against disease
Derived forms
combatable (comˈbatable)
adjective
combater (comˈbater)
noun
Word origin
C16: from French, from Old French combattre, from Vulgar Latin combattere (unattested), from Latin com- with + battuere to beat, hit
combat in American English
(kəmˈbæt; ˈkɑmˌbæt; ˈkʌmˌbæt; for n. & adj., ˈkɑmˌbæt)
verb intransitiveWord forms: comˈbated or comˈbatted, comˈbating or comˈbatting
1.
to fight, contend, or struggle
verb transitive
2.
to fight or struggle against; oppose, resist, or seek to get rid of
noun
3.
armed fighting; battle
4.
any struggle or conflict; strife
adjective
5. Military
of or for combat
SIMILAR WORDS: ˈbattle
Word origin
Fr combattre < VL *combattere < L com-, with + battuere, to beat, fight: see batter1
Examples of 'combat' in a sentence
combat
Finland is also setting up an operations centre to combat foreign meddling.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
It retains the look of a frontline base but without units of combat troops.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It helps combat heart disease and can extend your life by up to six years.
The Sun (2016)
We’re still having these arguments today, about women’s role in combat.
Smithsonian Mag (2017)
In the meantime, combat roles for the cubs increased too.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Neither is it viable to send troops into combat while it's unclear what is lawful and what is not.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It is scheduled to open next year and will be a leading centre for rehabilitation, serving wounded combat troops for decades to come.
The Sun (2017)
More than 300 women applied for combat roles, although only nine are training.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
His name tag is on his combat jacket.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
What else is being done to combat the disease?
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
New laws are set to be introduced to combat the crime.
The Sun (2012)
We know what their strengths will be and will try and combat that.
The Sun (2016)
It will be the first time that it has served in a combat role.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Combat troops would meet the enemy troops in just sufficient strength to defeat them.
Grenville, J. A. S. The Collins History of the World in the 20th Century (1994)
This was about people in close combat relying on comrades left and right of arc.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
They were also given to soldiers to combat battle fatigue.
Cohen, Julian & Kay, James Taking Drugs Seriously (1994)
The military distinction between combat and support has grown more blurred.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Many of them will have seen combat operations.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
This represents fantastic progress in combating the disease which destroys so many lives.
The Sun (2014)
It was then that he decided how committed he was to combating knife crime.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
That is what we are trying to combat.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
They can take any job that does not require close combat.
The Sun (2014)
Much of the narrative of both is taken up with the description of the single combats of heroes.
Rutherford, Ward Celtic Mythology (1987)
He had asked to wear a combat jacket, supposedly to denote his warrior status.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The challenge was to be single combat to the death, unless one of the contestants yielded.
Christina Hardyment Malory: The Life and Times of King Arthur's Chronicler (2005)
Yes, women should be allowed to serve in combat roles.
Christianity Today (2000)
That doesn't mean sending in combat troops.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
It will focus on the need for political will, legal clarity and military capability to combat piracy.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
THEY had endured the heat of battle and sporting combat.
The Sun (2008)
We also gradually got back into the business of building combat aircraft, but only as partners in collaborative programmes.
Gunston, Bill Plane Speaking - a personal view of aviation history (1991)
He reported on the war until 1965 and narrowly escaped death after being shot down in combat aircraft three times.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
One group said that their only experience of combat before the war was playing Call of Duty.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
In other languages
combat
British English: combat NOUN
Combat is fighting that takes place in a war.
Over 16 million men had died in combat.
American English: combat
Brazilian Portuguese: combate
Chinese: 战斗
European Spanish: combate
French: combat
German: Kampf
Italian: combattimento
Japanese: 戦闘
Korean: 전투
European Portuguese: combate
Latin American Spanish: combate
British English: combat VERB
If people in authority combat something, they try to stop it happening.
They have criticised new government measures to combat crime.
American English: combat
Brazilian Portuguese: combater
Chinese: 防止
European Spanish: combatir
French: combattre
German: bekämpfen
Italian: combattere
Japanese: 戦う
Korean: ~에 대항해 싸우다
European Portuguese: combater
Latin American Spanish: combatir
All related terms of 'combat'
combat boot
a heavy army boot
combat car
a small armoured car
combat duty
active service
combat gear
the uniform worn by soldiers when fighting
combat role
If you have a role in a situation or in society , you have a particular position and function in it.
combat team
a combination of military units, usually of different types, as infantry and artillery , temporarily under one command while on special combat mission
combat zone
(in warfare ) an area where fighting is taking place
close combat
the act of fighting at close quarters
combat fraud
Fraud is the crime of gaining money or financial benefits by a trick or by lying.
combat jacket
a military-style jacket , usually khaki , olive green, or with camouflage colours
combat knife
a large knife for military use
combat knives
a large knife for military use
combat-ready
ready for combat
combat troops
troops who are engaged in fighting
single combat
a fight between two individuals; duel
combat aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle which can fly , for example an aeroplane or a helicopter .
combat disease
A disease is an illness which affects people, animals, or plants, for example one which is caused by bacteria or infection .
combat fatigue
a psychoneurotic condition characterized by anxiety , irritability, depression, etc., often occurring after prolonged combat in warfare
combat fatigues
the uniform worn by soldiers when fighting
combat neurosis
→ another name for combat fatigue
combat poverty
Poverty is the state of being extremely poor .
combat trousers
Combat trousers are large, loose trousers with lots of pockets.
unarmed combat
the action of fighting without weapons
hors de combat
disabled or injured
littoral combat ship
a small, fast warship designed for operating in shallow coastal waters
trial by battle
a method of trying an accused person or of settling a dispute by a personal fight between the two parties involved or, in some circumstances , their permitted champions , in the presence of a judge . It was introduced to England after the Norman Conquest and abolished in 1819
battle fatigue
a type of psychological disorder , characterized by anxiety , depression , and loss of motivation , caused by the stress of active warfare
shellshock
loss of sight , memory , etc, resulting from psychological strain during prolonged engagement in warfare