French Conversation · Level 29
89 words
French word
combat
Pronunciation
IPA/kɔ̃ba/
Meaning
- masculine nounfight
Example
Le combat pour la liberté est long.
The fight for freedom is long.
More examples
Après des mois de lutte, ils ont finalement gagné le combat.
After months of fighting, they finally won the battle.
Core concept
Two sides press against each other in a contest that may be physical, competitive, or figurative.
Common phrases
mener un combat
wage a battle
gagner un combat
win a battle
perdre un combat
lose a battle
Similar words
lutte: A sustained effort to secure rights or achieve a particular goal.
bataille: An intense clash or episode of fighting in a specific setting.
conflit: A disagreement or dispute caused by opposed interests or viewpoints.
Definition in French
Affrontement entre adversaires, réel ou figuré, visant à gagner, défendre une position ou résoudre un conflit.
Word origin
French inherited combat from Old French, which developed from Latin combattuere, a verb built from com- and battuere, 'to strike'.
Usage tips
- The construction un combat contre introduces the opposing person, group, or cause, as in un combat contre l'injustice.
Other meanings
- battlenoun
- matchnoun
- strugglenoun
Related words
- combattrefightverb
- combattantfighternoun
- combatifcombativeadjective