a person who has defeated all opponents in a competition or series of competitions, so as to hold first place.
the heavyweight boxing champion.
anything that takes first place in competition.
the champion of a cattle show.
an animal that has won a certain number of points in officially recognized shows.
This dog is a champion.
a person who fights for or defends any person or cause.
a champion of the oppressed.
a fighter or warrior.
first among all contestants or competitors.
Informal. first-rate.
a person who has defeated all others in a competition
a chess champion
( as modifier )
a champion team
a plant or animal that wins first place in a show, etc
( as modifier )
a champion marrow
a person who defends a person or cause
champion of the underprivileged
(formerly) a warrior or knight who did battle for another, esp a king or queen, to defend their rights or honour
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English, from Old French, from Late Latin campiōn-, stem of campiō “combatant in an arena duel,” from West Germanic kampiōn- (unrecorded); equivalent to Latin camp(us) “field, battlefield” + -iō, noun suffix; compare Old English cempa “warrior”
A champion is a winner, or someone who's really good at something. If you are a champion chess player, you are a superstar! When crowds sing Queen's "We Are the Champions" at football games, they are celebrating the fact that their team won. Champion comes from the Latin word campionem for "gladiator, fighter." Rarr! No need to grab your sword, but a champion is also a person who fights for a cause. If you are the champion of fundraising, you keep pushing to raise money. As a verb, to champion means to protect or fight for something. You champion your little brother by defending him against meanies — no matter what, you are always on his side.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Drake is 19, and even though this tour marks her first major production, Keys called Drake a “pure champion veteran.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 2026
Having started playing on the red dirt aged three, 21-year-old Sierra demonstrated her ability by recently pushing reigning French Open champion Coco Gauff in Rome.
From BBC • May 24, 2026
They were back at it Saturday as last week’s champion Malia Rainey ran 11.33 to win the first heat.
From Los Angeles Times • May 24, 2026
The kickboxing superstar, who reigned as the Glory heavyweight world champion for 12 years, clearly demonstrated that he has the tools to hang with boxing's elite.
From BBC • May 24, 2026
To Maurice Kasper, treasurer of the American Chess Foundation, she wrote: “I hope Bobby will become a great chess champion some day because he loves chess more than anything else.”
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.
