championship

American  

[cham-pee-uhn-ship] / ˈtʃæm pi ənˌʃɪp /

noun

• championships
  plural

1. the distinction or condition of being a champion.

   to win a championship.

2. advocacy or defense.

   championship of the underdog.

3. championships, a series of competitions or contests to determine a champion.

   the tennis championships.

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championship British  

/ ˈtʃæmpɪənˌʃɪp /

noun

1. (sometimes plural) any of various contests held to determine a champion

2. the title or status of being a champion

3. support for or defence of a cause, person, etc

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• prechampionship
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• championships
  plural

Etymology

Origin of championship

First recorded in 1815–25; champion + -ship

Explanation

A championship is a contest where a champion — an ultimate winner — is decided. Champions are the top winners: only one football or baseball team earns the title of champion in a year. The championship is the contest that decides who will be champion. The Super Bowl is a championship. And so are the World Series, the Stanley Cup Finals, and the NBA Finals. Although championship is most often used in sports, you will also hear about the spelling bee championships or chess championships. When you win a championship, you're number one in your field.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

championship championships

“I had a job to do, and it was about trying to bring a world championship to Los Angeles,” Smith said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

Clinching the British championship was merely the beginning.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

Cannon led LSU to a national championship in 1958 and won the Heisman a year later.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

Having also broken the championship record in the semi-final, Evans claimed gold ahead of Ireland's Mona McSharry in second, while Italy's Benedetta Pilato took bronze.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

For years Soviet grandmasters had competed only against one another, ensuring that the championship would remain in the hands of the Soviet Union.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Chambliss began his career as a Division II standout at Ferris State in Michigan, where he won two national championships.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

Great Britain's women's team marathon triumph delivered the nation's seventh overall gold at the championships, leaving them one shy of leaders Italy going into the final evening of action.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

But, after taking silver at three consecutive global championships amid captivating battles with American Athing Mu and Kenya’s Mary Moraa, Hodgkinson finally took the top step of a podium at the Paris Olympics.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

One of them was El Camino Real’s decorated baseball coach, Josh Lienhard, who has guided the team to five City Section championships.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026

“This power-up was put into this year’s championships for the Architects, since you’ll probably use it best. I want you to retrieve it for your temporary captain, Roshan.”

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu

Related Words

• crown
• showdown
• tournament