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Synonyms

tournament

American  
[toor-nuh-muhnt, tur-] / ˈtʊər nə mənt, ˈtɜr- /

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 British  
/ 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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • pretournament noun

Etymology

Origin of tournament

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

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.

Coinbase has made sports a central focus of its prediction market strategy, prompting users to “trade the madness” as the college basketball tournament got under way this month.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

His absence this year, for the tournament that runs from 9 to 12 April, means it will be the first time since 1994 that both Mickelson and Tiger Woods will not feature in the Masters.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

Matsumoto said Air Force started identifying him as a junior and saw him perform during a travel ball tournament.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

The tournament, which begins on 11 June, is being hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

Championship tournament, he was dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, a custom-made white shirt, a Sulka white tie, and Italian-made shoes.

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.