Meanings
- A large part of what it takes to accomplish something.
Knowing is half the battle.
It is necessary to be informed in order to do the right thing in a given situation.
Origin
A figure of speech that goes back centuries. Although the collocation knowing is half the battle long predates the G.I. Joe cartoon series, its pop-culture ubiquity in the 21st century is explained by that popularization.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Finnish puoli voittoa
- puoli voittoaTranslations
Polish połowa sukcesu
- połowa sukcesuTranslations
Cite this entry
half the battle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/half%20the%20battle
“half the battle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/half%20the%20battle. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “half the battle,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/half%20the%20battle.
Source: half the battle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.