combat

C1 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈkɑmˌbæt/ UK /ˈkɒmˌbæt/ See IPA manual

Freq #4046

Meanings

1

verb
To take action to stop or reduce something harmful.

The government launched a campaign to combat drug addiction.
2

noun
Fighting, especially between armed forces.

Many soldiers were wounded in combat.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to take action to stop or... battle

2 noun · fighting, especially... armed combat

Word family

Forms combatedcombatingcombatscombattedcombattinguncombated

Derived forms anticombatcombat-readycombatablecombatantcombatativecombativecombatworthyintercombatnoncombatpost-combatpostcombatpre-combat

Related forms abateabattoirbattalion batter battery battle debate rebate

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

combat fatigue
psychological distress caused by the strain of active warfare

Noun + noun

Simplified etymology

Combat is recorded from the mid-16th century with the sense “fight together.” It contains the Latin root battuere, “to strike” or “beat,” which also underlies battle, battalion, batter, and battery.

Etymology

16th century, borrowed from Middle French combat, deverbal from Old French combatre, from Vulgar Latin *combattere, from Latin com- (“with”) + battuere (“to beat, strike”).

combatre Old French *combattere la-vul com- Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# combat

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈkɑmˌbæt/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈkɒmˌbæt/
**Frequency rank:** 4046

## Meanings
1. To take action to stop or reduce something harmful.
2. Fighting, especially between armed forces.

## Examples
- The government launched a campaign to combat drug addiction.
- Many soldiers were wounded in combat.

## Derived Forms
- anticombat
- combat-ready
- combatable
- combatant
- combatative
- combative
- combatworthy
- intercombat
- noncombat
- post-combat
- postcombat
- pre-combat

## Related Forms
- abate
- abattoir
- battalion
- batter
- battery
- battle
- debate
- rebate

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: combatre
- Root: *combattere
- Root: com-

## Etymology
16th century, borrowed from Middle French combat, deverbal from Old French combatre, from Vulgar Latin *combattere, from Latin com- (“with”) + battuere (“to beat, strike”).

## AI Etymology
Combat is attested 16th century, borrowed from Middle French combat, deverbal from Old French combatre, from Vulgar Latin *combattere, from Latin com- (“with”) + battuere (“to beat, strike”). The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern verbal form is built from the named base and affix. Important recorded forms include combatre (Old French), *combattere (la-vul), and com- (Latin). Current senses include to take action to stop or reduce something harmful and fighting, especially between armed forces. The wider family includes derived forms such as anticombat, combat-ready, combatable, combatant, and combatative and related words such as abate, abattoir, battalion, batter, and battery.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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