tournament

[toor-nuh-muhnt, tur-]

noun

1. a trial of skill in some game, in which competitors play a series of contests.

   a chess tournament.

2. a meeting for contests in a variety of sports, as between teams of different nations.

3. History/Historical.

   1. a contest or martial sport in which two opposing parties of mounted and armored combatants fought for a prize, with blunted weapons and in accordance with certain rules.

   2. a meeting at an appointed time and place for the performance of knightly exercises and sports.

tournament

/ ˈtɜː-, ˈtʊənəmənt, ˈtɔː- /

noun

1. a sporting competition in which contestants play a series of games to determine an overall winner

2. a meeting for athletic or other sporting contestants

   an archery tournament

3. medieval history

   1. (originally) a martial sport or contest in which mounted combatants fought for a prize

   2. (later) a meeting for knightly sports and exercises

Other Word Forms

• pretournament noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of tournament¹

1175–1225; Middle English tornement < Old French torneiement, equivalent to torne ( ier ) to tourney + -ment -ment

Word History and Origins

Origin of tournament¹

C13: from Old French torneiement, from torneier to fight on horseback, literally: to turn, from the constant wheeling round of the combatants; see _tourney

Example Sentences

Pawn pushers at a couple of low-stakes chess tournaments in Iowa and Louisiana recently sat down at their boards only to discover a surprising competitor: one of the highest rated chess players ever to live.

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The last time Team USA won gold at an Olympic men’s hockey tournament, they needed a miracle.

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As a result, pitches for the tournament were remade in short order and are constantly being tweaked to deal with the blistering heat.

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None of which will slow down FIFA’s charge to conquer America or expand the tournament.

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The power conferences want to expand the men’s basketball tournament to get more of their teams in.

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Related Words

• contest 
• event 
• fight 
• match 
• meeting 
• series 
• sport 
• test 
• tourney