victor

¹ American  

[vik-ter] / ˈvɪk tər /

noun

1. a person who has overcome or defeated an adversary; conqueror.

2. a winner in any struggle or contest.

3. a word used in communications to represent the letter V.

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Victor ² American  

[vik-ter] / ˈvɪk tər /

noun

1. an ancient Roman epithet variously applied to Jupiter, Mars, and Hercules.

2. Military. the NATO name for a class of high-speed, nuclear-powered submarines, designed to protect Soviet ships and to attack ballistic-missile submarines: first produced for the Soviet Navy in the 1960s; in service with the Russian Navy since 1992.

3. a male given name.

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victor ¹ British  

/ ˈvɪktə /

noun

1. 1. a person, nation, etc, that has defeated an adversary in war, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      the victor army

2. the winner of any contest, conflict, or struggle

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Victor ² British  

/ ˈvɪktə /

noun

1. communications a code word for the letter v

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victor Idioms  

1. see to the victor belong the spoils.

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Etymology

Origin of victor

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Latin, equivalent to vic-, past participle stem of vincere “to conquer” + -tor -tor

Explanation

The victor is the winner of a contest, usually one that requires physical skills or strength, like in battle or sports. Calling someone the victor implies that he or she triumphed in a difficult competition. The origin of the noun victor is in the Latin word vincere, meaning “conquer.” If you conquer your opponents, in a weekend-long chess showdown, the wrestling match, the beauty contest, the debate, or a 5K run, you are the victor. It means you won — victory is yours. Whenever an opponent is defeated, the winner is the victor.

Example Sentences

A pantheon of past winners gather to celebrate their success and gorge on a set menu specially selected by the previous year's victor.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

The idea that “there will be no victor or vanquished” is not poetic fatalism, it is empirical reality.

From Salon • Mar. 25, 2026

Rosenberg regards China’s as a victor in the trade war with America so far, by virtue of the $1.2 trillion trade surplus it recorded in 2025.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 17, 2026

And when money changed hands, it was sometimes under duress as the victor in a war imposed a sale on the loser.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 24, 2026

The victor tributes from 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 11 had varying degrees of knowledge about it.

From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins