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The Ice Bucket Challenge raised money for research into which disease?

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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

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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

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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

That brings us to the question of what shareholders could do if Anthropic’s management proves unequal to the challenge.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

The challenge is "to penetrate the psychology of a real person and reflect it as truthfully as possible," she said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026

An ongoing challenge in autism research is separating neurological differences associated with autism itself from changes that may develop through the experience of living with the condition.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 28, 2026

One challenge: Its real-estate portfolio reflects its current stature.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

One night, a figure appeared who didn’t answer her challenge.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

To overcome these challenges, the researchers introduced several corrections and developed software capable of removing unwanted background signals.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 28, 2026

The union acknowledged renewed challenges during the SAG-AFTRA strike in 2023.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

The latest flare-up of the Drumcree dispute has featured a number of legal challenges, involving the Parades Commission, Orange Order and Garvaghy Road residents.

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026

We recognize and support the calls for more regulation, including to address unique challenges in the sports and elections contexts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026

"Well, you've indicted someone for perjury for contradicting the state's case. Do you intend to prosecute everyone who challenges the evidence in this case?"

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

More recent studies have challenged that assumption, identifying fluorescent properties in a growing variety of terrestrial animals, including reptiles, birds, and amphibians.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 28, 2026

He emerged as a strong rebounder and rim protector, but the Jazz, still in rebuilding mode, never challenged for a playoff spot.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 25, 2026

Readers challenged our columnist to take an affordable electric car on a route with less-than-ideal charging options.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

"However, in the short term, with severely challenged volumes, we need to reinforce our turnaround plan with additional decisive actions, lowering our break-even point and improving cash flows to make us more resilient."

From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026

What if you challenged me with a distance of one-billionth of a foot?

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

“Market conditions have become even more challenging over the course of the year, particularly in China,” Chief Executive Officer Ola Kallenius said Wednesday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

Both graciously conceded despite having some basis for challenging results.

From Salon ● Oct. 28, 2026

Organisers said they wanted to make affordable clothing accessible to everyone while challenging the stigma sometimes associated with buying second-hand.

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026

State Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez, a Pasadena-area Democrat who met Gonzales-Torres through her work as an academic counselor, said she’s impressed with her interest in challenging federal immigration laws.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026

He watched his classmates tap-dance with tongues, challenging one another, slipping and sliding from story to story.

From "Look Both Ways" by Jason Reynolds

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Related Words

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

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