击剑，又称剑击，在广义上讲是指用手持兵器刺、戳的技术。现代一般多作为击剑体育项目的代名词，是一种格斗运动，这里指的击剑（Fencing）是以17世纪后单手用的护手刺剑为主的格斗运动，并非传统14世纪到16世纪的中世纪西洋长剑术。（西洋长剑术同样也可以被称为Fencing，但与击剑截然不同，长剑术因为过于真实且危险性高，被类为实战型的武术/剑术，而非运动，普遍长剑重达1至2公斤以上，即使是练习剑也将近1公斤重，若未配戴训练用的护具，甚至会有骨折或内出血的风险）

剑击运动是现代奥林匹克运动会五个不可或缺的项目之一，其它四个分别是田径、游泳、自行车和体操。

Fencing, also called Olympic fencing, is a sport in which two competitors fight using 'Rapier-style' swords, winning points by making contact with their opponent. Based on the traditional skills of swordsmanship, the modern sport arose at the end of the 19th century, with the Italian school having modified the historical European martial art of classical fencing, and the French school having later refined the Italian system. There are three forms of modern fencing, each using a different style of weapon and different rules, and as such the sport is divided into three competitive scenes: foil, sabre and épée. Most (but not all) competitive fencers choose to specialise in only one weapon.