Battleground

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈbætəlˌɡɹaʊnd/

Definitions

1. A location where armed forces engage in combat or where rival groups contest for supremacy
2. An area designated for military confrontation or figuratively any arena where opposing parties struggle for dominance
3. A geographic location where soldiers actively fight in war ; a setting where two or more parties vie intensely for control or superiority

Etymology: The word is a plain compound: "battle" joined to "ground." Its two halves have very different pedigrees. "Battle" came into English in the Middle English period through Old French "bataille," which traces back to Late Latin "battalia," a derivative of Latin "battuere," meaning "to beat" or "to strike." So a battle was, at root, a beating or a blow. "Ground" is an older native word, descended from Old English "grund," the word for the bottom or base of something, and it is ultimately related to the same ideas of foundation and depth. Put together, the compound describes literally the earth on which fighting takes place, and it has long since moved from the physical field to any contested arena. The sense of a place where rival groups contest for dominance grew naturally from the military picture, so the term now covers courtrooms, elections, and ideas as readily as trenches.

Synonyms: battlefield, combat zone, war zone, conflict area, theater of war

Antonyms: peaceful area, non-conflict zone, safe zone, neutral ground, reconciliation area