combat Definition
com·bat (kəm bat′, käm′bat′; kum′bat′; for n. & adj., käm′bat′)
intransitive verb -·bat′ed or -·bat′·ted, -·bat′·ing or -·bat′·ting
to fight, contend, or struggle
Etymology: Fr combattre < VL *combattere < L com-, with + battuere, to beat, fight: see batter
transitive verb
to fight or struggle against; oppose, resist, or seek to get rid of
noun
- armed fighting; battle
- any struggle or conflict; strife
Etymology: Fr < the v.
adjective
Mil. of or for combat
combat Synonyms
combat
n.
combat Synonyms
combat Usage Examples
Object
- terrorism: These ' extras ' are now required to help to combat terrorism.
- racism: In Scotland, supporters have formed a national campaign to combat racism in football.
- exclusion: Inclusive design also has a broader goal - to combat social exclusion.
- trafficking: There is a significant danger that measures to combat trafficking may prevent genuine asylum seekers from gaining access to asylum procedures.
- fraud: Back to top What can I do to combat fraud?
- discrimination: The Treaty of Amsterdam has given EU members broad new powers to combat discrimination.
Adjective modifier
- hand-to-hand: Troops then leaped onto the enemy ship and engaged in fierce hand-to-hand combat.
- gladiatorial: A man and a woman circle each other in a barbed relationship, a gladiatorial combat and struggle of wills than anything else.
- unarmed: In her fighter cockpit or in unarmed combat, she's force to be reckoned with.
- mortal: Seven contestants engage in mortal combat until only one remains.
- air-to-air: Students will basically learn; how to drop bombs, strafe targets and the basics of air-to-air combat.
- aerial: Our losses were 23 aircraft lost in aerial combat, eighty lost in ditching.
Present participle complement
- counterfeit: Background A package of measures to combat counterfeiting and piracy were put forward by the European Commission in October.
- bully: For details of how to combat bullying in the workplace also see the TUC site.
Modifies a noun
- trouser: Trousers: Black combat trousers Shoes: White Adidas ' Stan Smith ' .
- aircraft: The term " combat aircraft " does not include primary trainer aircraft.
- troop: They are the first US combat troops to enter the war.
- sortie: Tariq Aziz said that these jets had carried out 76 combat air sorties between October 16 and 23.
- mission: Still a young man in his early 20s, he was killed while flying a combat mission off the carrier Saratoga.
- helicopter: Although it looks a bit dated it offers weeks of solid gameplay and gives an interesting insight into the world of combat helicopters.
Browse dictionary entries near combat
- ‹ comb jelly
- ‹ comb
- ‹ comatulid
- ‹ comatose
- ‹ comate
- ‹ Comanche
- ‹ comake
- ‹ Coma Berenices
- ‹ coma
- ‹ com-

