half the battle
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Half determines the battle. Thus, "The first stroke is half the battle," that is, the way in which the battle is begun determines what the end will be.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “half the battle” mean?
Half determines the battle. Thus, "The first stroke is half the battle," that is, the way in which the battle is begun determines what the end will be.
Is “half the battle” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.