champion

[cham-pee-uhn]

See more synonyms for champion on Thesaurus.com

noun

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.

verb (used with object)

to act as champion of; defend; support: to champion a cause.
Obsolete. to defy.

adjective

first among all contestants or competitors.
Informal. first-rate.

Origin of champion

1175–1225; Middle English < Old French < Late Latin campiōn- (stem of campiō) < West Germanic *kampiōn-, equivalent to kamp- battle (< Latin campus field, battlefield) + -iōn- noun suffix; compare Old English cempa warrior, etc.

Related formscham·pi·on·less, adjectivecham·pi·on·like, adjectivenon·cham·pi·on, nounpre·cham·pi·oned, adjectiveun·cham·pi·oned, adjective

Synonyms for champion

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1. winner, victor. 4. defender, protector. 6. maintain, fight for, advocate.

Antonyms for champion

1. loser.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for championed

defend, promote, uphold, espouse, contend, battle, support, back, patronize

Examples from the Web for championed

Contemporary Examples of championed

While King has shepherded The Good Wife, Commander in Chief was championed by ABC executive Anne Sweeney.
Will There Ever Be a ‘Good Wife’ Effect on Politics?
Keli Goff
October 20, 2014
She has championed women in countries where they are oppressed through Vital Voices.
Women in the World Texas Sneak Peek
Cynthia Allum
October 20, 2014
By doing so, we will also achieve what Du Bois championed: practical idealism based in lifelong learning.
College Must Be More Than Just a Classy Trade School
Michael S. Roth
August 30, 2014
Other feminist sites have championed objectifying men in tit-for-tat fashion as empowering women.
Full Frontal Disney: Feminism's Nudity Double Standard
Emily Shire
August 20, 2014
And there was a time, prior to the one-two punch of Catwoman and Elektra, when superhero films were championed minority heroes.
Fear of a Minority Superhero: Marvel's Obsession with White Guys Saving the World
Marlow Stern
August 7, 2014

Historical Examples of championed

All the bills introduced or championed by Dr. Cannon became laws.
The History of Woman Suffrage, Volume IV
Various
In England the theory was championed particularly by Richard Owen.
Form and Function
E. S. (Edward Stuart) Russell
He was not long in this country before he championed the cause of the slave.
The Journal of Negro History, Volume 2, 1917
Various
She has disobeyed me, flaunted me, nursed me in illness, championed me behind my back.
The Crossing
Winston Churchill
Who was this young woman who championed so warmly his own son?
The Third Degree
Charles Klein and Arthur Hornblow

British Dictionary definitions for championed

champion

noun

1. a person who has defeated all others in a competitiona chess champion
2. (as modifier)a champion team
1. a plant or animal that wins first place in a show, etc
2. (as modifier)a champion marrow
a person who defends a person or causechampion of the underprivileged
(formerly) a warrior or knight who did battle for another, esp a king or queen, to defend their rights or honour

adjective

Northern English dialect first rate; excellent

adverb

Northern English dialect very well; excellently

verb (tr)

to support; defendwe champion the cause of liberty

Word Origin for champion

C13: from Old French, from Late Latin campiō, from Latin campus field, battlefield

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

Word Origin and History for championed

champion

"to fight for, defend, protect," 1820 (Scott) in a literal sense, from champion (n.). Figurative use by 1830. Earlier it meant "to challenge" (c.1600). Related: Championed; championing.

champion

early 13c., "doughty fighting man, valorous combatant," also (c.1300) "one who fights on behalf of another or others," from Old French champion "combatant, champion in single combat" (12c.), from Late Latin campionem (nominative campio) "gladiator, fighter, combatant in the field," from Latin campus "field (of combat);" see campus. Had been borrowed earlier by Old English as cempa. Sports sense in reference to "first-place performer in some field" is recorded from 1730.