tournament
TOOR-nuh-muhnt
Tournament (noun) means a series of games or contests played to determine an overall winner. Example: “She won the regional chess tournament.”
noun
1
A series of games or contests played to determine an overall winner.
"She won the regional chess tournament."
"The tennis tournament runs for two weeks."
"Our school hockey team reached the final of the tournament."
2
In medieval times, a staged contest between knights, often involving mock combat, held as sport or training.
"Knights competed in jousting tournaments to win honor and prizes."
"The king held a grand tournament where knights charged at each other on horseback."
"Crowds in medieval towns cheered at the tournament as armoured riders clashed with blunted lances."
How to use tournament
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA competition made up of multiple matches or games to find an overall winner.
Common pairings
tournament bracket
knockout tournament
win a tournament
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Word forms
- Plural
- tournaments
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She won the regional chess _____.
Etymology
From Old French tornoiement, related to the verb tornoier, describing knights wheeling and jousting on horseback.
Related words
Rhymes for tournament
lament
ornament
ligament
armament
filament
sacrament
testament
firmament
parliament
temperament
predicament
disarmament
See all rhymes for tournament →
Frequently asked questions
What does “tournament” mean?
The word “tournament” means a series of games or contests played to determine an overall winner. In plain terms, a competition made up of multiple matches or games to find an overall winner.
How do you pronounce “tournament”?
“Tournament” is pronounced TOOR-nuh-muhnt (/ˈtʊɹnəmənt/ in IPA).
How do you use “tournament” in a sentence?
Here is “tournament” used in a sentence: “She won the regional chess tournament.”
What part of speech is “tournament”?
“Tournament” is a noun.
Where does the word “tournament” come from?
The word “tournament” comes from Old French. From Old French tornoiement, related to the verb tornoier, describing knights wheeling and jousting on horseback.
Is “tournament” a common word?
“Tournament” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “tournament” have?
“Tournament” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a series of games or contests played to determine an overall winner.
What is the difference between a tournament and a league?
A tournament is usually a self-contained event where teams or players compete over a set period until one winner emerges, often by knockout. A league runs over a whole season, with everyone playing repeated fixtures and standings decided by accumulated points rather than a single final.
What are the main types of tournament?
Common formats include knockout, or single-elimination, where one loss ends your run; double-elimination, which gives a second chance; and round-robin, where every entrant plays every other. Many large tournaments combine them, with group stages of round-robin play followed by a knockout final.
What is the difference between a tournament and a match?
A match is a single game or contest between two sides. A tournament is the larger competition made up of many such matches, arranged so that results across all of them decide one overall winner. In short, a tournament contains many matches.
What is an example of a tournament?
Well-known examples include the FIFA World Cup, Wimbledon, and the Masters in golf, along with chess and esports championships. Any structured series of contests that crowns a single overall winner, from a local darts night to a global cup, counts as a tournament.
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