champion
noun
a person who has defeated all opponents in a competition or series of competitions, so as to hold first place.
champion
1 American
[cham-pee-uhn]
/ ˈtʃæm pi ən /
noun
-
champions
plural
-
a person who has defeated all opponents in a competition or series of competitions, so as to hold first place.
the heavyweight boxing champion.
- Antonyms:
- loser
-
anything that takes first place in competition.
the champion of a cattle show.
-
an animal that has won a certain number of points in officially recognized shows.
This dog is a champion.
-
a person who fights for or defends any person or cause.
a champion of the oppressed.
-
a fighter or warrior.
verb (used with object)
-
champions,
present (3rd person singular)
-
championed,
past participle, past
-
championing
present participle
adjective
-
first among all contestants or competitors.
-
Informal. first-rate.
Champion
2
American
[cham-pee-uhn]
/ ˈtʃæm pi ən /
noun
champion
British
/ ˈtʃæmpɪən /
noun
-
-
a person who has defeated all others in a competition
a chess champion
-
( as modifier )
a champion team
-
-
-
a plant or animal that wins first place in a show, etc
-
( as modifier )
a champion marrow
-
-
a person who defends a person or cause
champion of the underprivileged
-
(formerly) a warrior or knight who did battle for another, esp a king or queen, to defend their rights or honour
adjective
adverb
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
nonchampionnoun
-
championlessadjective
-
championlikeadjective
-
prechampionedadjective
-
unchampionedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
championsimple
-
championssimple
-
have championedperfect
-
has championedperfect
-
am championingprogressive
-
are championingprogressive
-
is championingprogressive
-
have been championingperfect progressive
-
has been championingperfect progressive
Past
-
championedsimple
-
had championedperfect
-
was championingprogressive
-
were championingprogressive
-
had been championingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of champion
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English, from Old French, from Late Latin campiōn-, stem of campiō “combatant in an arena duel,” from West Germanic kampiōn- (unrecorded); equivalent to Latin camp(us) “field, battlefield” + -iō, noun suffix; compare Old English cempa “warrior”
Explanation
A champion is a winner, or someone who's really good at something. If you are a champion chess player, you are a superstar! When crowds sing Queen's "We Are the Champions" at football games, they are celebrating the fact that their team won. Champion comes from the Latin word campionem for "gladiator, fighter." Rarr! No need to grab your sword, but a champion is also a person who fights for a cause. If you are the champion of fundraising, you keep pushing to raise money. As a verb, to champion means to protect or fight for something. You champion your little brother by defending him against meanies — no matter what, you are always on his side.
Vocabulary lists containing champion
Set, Hut! Football Vocabulary
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Words Football Fans Can Master Easily
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Words for Father's Day: What Fathers Do
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Olympic champion Hodgkinson, 24, has had much to celebrate in 2026, including breaking the long-standing indoor 800m world record, winning her first world title and improving her British record outdoors.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
He posed for selfies with former British heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, who was also one of many guests invited by Kinahan to attend his lavish wedding in Dubai’s luxury Burj Al Arab in 2017.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
Division 2 champion Corona del Mar, which brings back every starter but one, including player of the year Addison Stern and receivers Mia Balabanian and AnnaSofia Dickens.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026
Called a “working class” champion by the United Auto Workers, El-Sayed performed best in wealthier, higher-educated areas of the state.
From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2026
When we’ve all finished, I break into a song by Flory Jagoda—a woman who was a champion of Sephardic music and sang in Ladino.
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
He picked up a rosette for "Supreme Champion, Oldest Handler" for his efforts.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
It handles design, permitting, transportation and installation but farms the construction to large producers such as Champion Homes, a manufacturer that works with multiple retailers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
Champion had already beaten Biblical Studies twice that season.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 2026
Champion, who chairs the international development committee, said military officials believe the "best line of prevention and first defence is our development money", as she warned the cuts could have "massive consequences".
From BBC ● Mar. 19, 2026
Who then was to be the United States Open Champion?
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Former champions were highlighted alongside what Dorsey hopes are their future champions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026
The former Scotland winger watched Hogh find space to add two more and believes there's already evidence that the defending champions have a real talent on their hands.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
League champions Liverpool showed their class with a 10-goal demolition of Fulham.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
June 2027: Should they not feature in the play-offs because of Uefa's boycott, European teams - including defending champions Spain - would not be able to participate in the Women's World Cup.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
A choir of merpeople was singing in the middle, calling the champions toward them, and behind them rose a crude sort of statue; a gigantic merperson hewn from a boulder.
From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling
Bestselling nonfiction writer Michael Pollan, a former teacher of Hackney’s at Harvard who championed her work, said he can’t help but compare her account of Appalachia to the vice president’s.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
With a few posts, they alienated the very supporters who championed them as living proof of redemption.
From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026
She never published again, though many championed her gifts, including me.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
One of the reasons Alonso will have championed the Rogers signing is his ability to play across the attack - most recently demonstrated as a right winger for England against Argentina.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
The union championed other progressive groups as well.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
Supporters of Fedorov, the 35-year-old advocate of Ukraine’s drone program, hail his championing of technology that has helped halt some Russian advances and his implementation of digital tenders in an effort to cut corruption.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
Among Western companies, France's Mistral stands largely alone in championing open models.
From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026
But it’s still built like a tasteful record store with hi-res audio and downloads, no ad tier, and a glossy music magazine championing outsider acts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
For Cohen, celebrating the joy inherent in the band’s music has been her primary motivation in championing Global Beatles Day.
From Salon ● Jun. 4, 2026
He also writes about art, the art world, and their mutual goal of championing the Impressionists and other modern painters.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
