combat

C1 Topic:War & Conflict

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.

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

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 ->

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
- War & Conflict

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combat

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