challenger

American  

[chal-in-jer] / ˈtʃæl ɪn dʒər /

noun

1. a person or thing that challenges.

2. Boxing. a boxer who fights a champion for his championship title.

3. Radio. interrogator.

4. U.S. Aerospace. none Challenger the second space shuttle to orbit and return to earth: exploded 1½ min. after launch on Jan. 28, 1986, causing the death of all seven on board.

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Other Word Forms

• nonchallenger noun

Etymology

Origin of challenger

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; challenge, -er ¹

Example Sentences

The Pollen-Isherwood story provides a lesson about the danger of decadence for the reigning hegemon in the face of a rising challenger.

From The Wall Street Journal

The balance of power among AI frontier labs is undergoing a seismic shift yet again, as OpenAI finds itself fending off challengers in a race that it once dominated alone.

From MarketWatch

Canada's defending champion Tyler Turner tops the men's LL1 World Cup rankings and will be a leading challenger along with American pair Noah Elliott and Mike Schultz - the silver medallist from Beijing.

From BBC

California says the challengers have mischaracterized the state’s rules about student privacy.

From The Wall Street Journal

When it was founded in Aberdeenshire the firm portrayed itself as a rebellious challenger to a UK brewing industry it regarded as stuffy and corporate.

From BBC

Related Words

• contender