# combat

Pronunciation: say "KOM-bat" US /ˈkɑmˌbæt/, UK /ˈkɒmˌbæt/

## Noun

1. Fighting, especially with weapons, or a struggle to defeat an opponent or achieve a goal.
   - Simple: Fighting, especially with weapons, or a struggle to win or achieve something.
   - _The troops engaged in fierce combat near the river._
   - _Hand-to-hand combat requires both strength and quick thinking._

## Verb

Pronunciation: say "kuhm-BAT" /kəmˈbæt/

2. To fight against an enemy or opponent, or to take action to reduce or stop something harmful.
   - Simple: To fight against someone, or to try hard to stop or reduce something bad.
   - _The agency launched a campaign to combat online fraud._
   - _Communities came together to combat rising pollution._

## Origin

English took it in the 16th century from Middle French combat, a noun made from the Old French verb combatre. That verb goes back through Vulgar Latin *combattere to Latin com- ('with') plus battuere ('to beat, strike').

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/combat (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).