battle royale

[ bat-l roi-al ]

noun

, plural battle royales, battles royale.

1. a fight, often to the death, in which more than two combatants are engaged and the victor is the last surviving participant.
2. battle royal ( def ).

adjective

1. of or relating to a genre of fiction, television show, movie, or video game that features this kind of elimination fight to the death: a battle royale movie trilogy set in a dystopian future.

   battle royale FPS games;

   a battle royale movie trilogy set in a dystopian future.

Word History and Origins

Origin of battle royale¹

First recorded in 1830–40; originally a variant spelling of battle royal ( def )

Example Sentences

Two new comic-sprung series premiere this week in a battle royale for attention.

From Los Angeles Times

“The Game,” which is currently having its world premiere, is about a fictionalized version of Fortnite Battle Royale, a third-person shooter where each round ends with only one survivor.

From New York Times

After sharing his diagnosis, Blevins — who earned a following for streaming the battle royale video game “Fortnite” on Twitch — received support from his online community including fellow creators Daithi De Nogla, SypherPK and Jake Lucky.

From Los Angeles Times

Apex Legends is a free-to-play, team-based battle royale shooter developed by Star Wars: Jedi Survivor studio Respawn Entertainment.

From BBC

Five years later, it seems she knows more about the popular Epic Games battle royale than just how to properly spell it.

From Los Angeles Times