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.
The Lakers then took guard Sergio De Larrea from Spain with the 25th pick and traded him to the NBA champion Knicks, along with cash considerations.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 24, 2026
“He got in the driver’s seat when the deregulation trend was incipient. He was a champion of deregulating the financial industry.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 22, 2026
"I've done all I can. It hurts not to be a champion."
From BBC • Jun. 22, 2026
He had built a champion in the space of a single season, diving into the transfer portal to assemble a superteam out of thin air.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026
They did not even remember that he was middleweight boxing champion.
From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway
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.
