challenge

American  

[chal-inj] / ˈtʃæl ɪndʒ /

noun

• challenges
  plural

1. a call or summons to engage in any contest, as of skill, strength, etc.

2. something that by its nature or character serves as a call to battle, contest, special effort, etc..

   Space exploration offers a challenge to humankind.

3. a call to fight, as a battle, a duel, etc.

4. a demand to explain, justify, etc..

   a challenge to the treasurer to itemize expenditures.

5. difficulty in a job or undertaking that is stimulating to one engaged in it.

6. Military. the demand of a sentry for identification or a countersign.

7. Law. a formal objection to the qualifications of a particular juror, to that juror serving, or to the legality of an entire jury.

8. the assertion that a vote is invalid or that a voter is not legally qualified.

9. Biology. the process of inducing or assessing physiological or immunological activity by exposing an organism to a specific substance.

10. Hunting. the crying of a hound on finding a scent.

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verb (used with object)

• challenges,
  present (3rd person singular)
• challenged,
  past participle,  past
• challenging
  present participle

1. to summon to a contest of skill, strength, etc.

   Synonyms:

   invite, bid, dare

2. to take exception to; call in question.

   to challenge the wisdom of a procedure.

   Synonyms:

   doubt, impute, question

3. to demand as something due or rightful.

4. Military. to halt and demand identification or countersign from.

5. Law. to take formal exception to (a juror or jury).

6. to have a claim to; invite; arouse; stimulate.

   a matter which challenges attention.

7. to assert that (a vote) is invalid.

8. to assert that (a voter) is not qualified to vote.

9. to expose an organism to a specific substance in order to assess its physiological or immunological activity.

10. Archaic. to lay claim to.

verb (used without object)

• challenges,
  present (3rd person singular)
• challenged,
  past participle,  past
• challenging
  present participle

1. to make or issue a challenge.

2. Hunting. (of hounds) to cry or give tongue on picking up the scent.

adjective

1. donated or given by a private, corporate, or government benefactor on condition that the recipient raise an additional specified amount from the public.

   a challenge grant.

challenge British  

/ ˈtʃælɪndʒ /

verb

1. to invite or summon (someone to do something, esp to take part in a contest)

2. (also intr) to call (something) into question; dispute

3. to make demands on; stimulate

   the job challenges his ingenuity

4. to order (a person) to halt and be identified or to give a password

5. law to make formal objection to (a juror or jury)

6. to lay claim to (attention, etc)

7. (intr) hunting (of a hound) to cry out on first encountering the scent of a quarry

8. to inject (an experimental animal immunized with a test substance) with disease microorganisms to test for immunity to the disease

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noun

1. a call to engage in a fight, argument, or contest

2. a questioning of a statement or fact; a demand for justification or explanation

3. a demanding or stimulating situation, career, object, etc

4. a demand by a sentry, watchman, etc, for identification or a password

5. an assertion that a person is not entitled to vote or that a vote is invalid

6. law a formal objection to a person selected to serve on a jury ( challenge to the polls ) or to the whole body of jurors ( challenge to the array )

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• challenger
  noun
• prechallenge
  verb (used with object)
• rechallenge
  verb (used with object)
• challengeable
  adjective
• unchallengeable
  adjective
• unchallengeably
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• challenges
  plural

Participles

• challenging
  present
• challenged
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• challenge
  simple
• challenges
  simple
• have challenged
  perfect
• has challenged
  perfect
• am challenging
  progressive
• are challenging
  progressive
• is challenging
  progressive
• have been challenging
  perfect progressive
• has been challenging
  perfect progressive

Past

• challenged
  simple
• had challenged
  perfect
• was challenging
  progressive
• were challenging
  progressive
• had been challenging
  perfect progressive

Future

• will challenge
  simple
• will have challenged
  perfect
• will be challenging
  progressive
• will have been challenging
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of challenge

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English chalenge, from Old French, variant of chalonge, from Latin calumnia “false statement”; see calumny

Explanation

A challenge is something that puts you to the test — like running your first marathon or reading War and Peace. Challenge, as a verb, is derived from a Latin word meaning "to accuse falsely," and it is still used much as it was in the 13th century, in the sense of questioning whether something is true or right. Students sometimes challenge a weeknight curfew, and lawyers might challenge the evidence submitted by the other side in a lawsuit. Challenge is also used as a noun for a competition in which people challenge one another to prove that they’re the best at something.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

challenge challenges challenged challenging

He issued a temporary order pausing the case and allowing construction to continue while the justices decide on a pending legal challenge.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

"It was a huge logistical challenge," Jakob, another German soldier, told AFP.

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

Other council areas will face Inverclyde's depopulation challenge in the coming years.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

Instead, the defendants and their lawyers questioned whether criticism of a government act amounted to a direct challenge to state power.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

But even the future night bomber pilots who would fly the familiar little Po-2s had a big challenge to face.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

There’s plenty of challenges ahead, but for now, JSerra has something good going in a sport that keeps attracting more and more fans.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

Residents say the space has not only improved the local environment but has also created a welcoming community hub where people can learn new skills, share ideas and support each other through life's challenges.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

The limited resource is one of the key challenges in the rivalry between the United States and China, which currently dominates the market, both in terms of production and refining.

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

Some of the biggest challenges may still lie ahead.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026

“You were so sick. We knew you would have enough challenges as it was, and we honestly didn’t think you’d ever be able to go to school again.”

From "The Adoration of Jenna Fox" by Mary E. Pearson

Former AFL Women's star Kate McCarthy was among those who challenged that framing, noting: "Players don't simply 'find themselves in situations'."

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

“We remain focused on improving execution while continuing to navigate a housing market challenged by affordability concerns, elevated mortgage rates and inconsistent consumer confidence due to geopolitical and economic uncertainty,” he added.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

He later challenged the fine, with 3GS, the company contracted to hand out fines on behalf of Bristol City Council, admitting it was a case of mistaken identity.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

He recalls spending hours in the British Library researching property laws going back to the 14th Century, so that when challenged he was armed with the facts.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

If Britain felt challenged by Germany’s aggressive push to become a world power, Germany felt threatened by France and Russia, its neighbors to the west and east.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

The road to recovery has been challenging for the life-long Derry City supporter.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

But building these types of new homes can be challenging.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

Space Force opened a window for proposals from more companies, but the extremely specific criteria and a challenging timeline kept other potential bidders out of the mix.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

Jeanie Buss, whom Walter had agreed could remain as the Lakers’ governor for five years, is challenging her siblings’ decision to sell the family’s 17.8% stake in the team.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

Her lasting legacy to the 587th Bomber Aviation Regiment was in choosing the challenging Pe-2 dive-bomber planes that they flew, and the 587th’s commitment to those planes would have made her proud.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

Related Words

• ask for
• assert
• call for
• claim
• confront
• defy
• demand
• denounce
• impose
• require
• test
• try