a person who has defeated all opponents in a competition or series of competitions, so as to hold first place.
the heavyweight boxing champion.
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.
first among all contestants or competitors.
Informal. first-rate.
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
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”
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.
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He was also a friend of Caitlyn Jenner and helped write the former athlete’s motivational book “Finding the Champion Within,” according to his biography.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026
The Make Great Plays staff created five awards, one of each going to students in every grade: Inclusion Hero, Unity Champion, Global Ambassador, Hope Maker and Pathfinder.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026
No. 1 Champion, which had secured an at-large bid to the national tournament, would go on to reach the national final.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026
The change could be a plus for the companies that sell manufactured homes such as Champion, Barron’s has reported.
From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026
Pavlov said that Fischer’s “tantrums” were an insult to the World Champion, who had every legal and moral right to refuse to meet Fischer.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
