champion
noun
a person who has defeated all opponents in a competition or series of competitions, so as to hold first place.
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champion
1 American
[cham-pee-uhn]
/ ˈtʃæm pi ən /
noun
-
champions
plural
-
a person who has defeated all opponents in a competition or series of competitions, so as to hold first place.
the heavyweight boxing champion.
- Antonyms:
- loser
-
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)
-
champions,
present (3rd person singular)
-
championed,
past participle, past
-
championing
present participle
adjective
-
first among all contestants or competitors.
-
Informal. first-rate.
Champion
2
American
[cham-pee-uhn]
/ ˈtʃæm pi ən /
noun
champion
British
/ ˈtʃæmpɪən /
noun
-
-
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
adjective
adverb
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
nonchampionnoun
-
championlessadjective
-
championlikeadjective
-
prechampionedadjective
-
unchampionedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
championsimple
-
championssimple
-
have championedperfect
-
has championedperfect
-
am championingprogressive
-
are championingprogressive
-
is championingprogressive
-
have been championingperfect progressive
-
has been championingperfect progressive
Past
-
championedsimple
-
had championedperfect
-
was championingprogressive
-
were championingprogressive
-
had been championingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of champion
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”
Explanation
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.
Vocabulary lists containing champion
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Before the games at Intuit Dome, Unrivaled will start the season in Boston with a rematch of last season’s final, as the defending champion Mist take on Phantom.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
And the school has already produced its first Division I national champion in track and field.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
Raman is also expected to champion policies sought by the region’s transportation advocates.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
Just last week, two-time major champion Bryson DeChambeau, LIV’s most popular player, appeared on a podcast saying he was hopeful it could live forever.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
Evans recounted, “I had no idea that I was talking to a future world’s champion, just a very young master with great intensity. It was the beginning of a long and sometimes turbulent friendship.”
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Find insight on Champion Iron, gold prices and more in the latest Market Talks covering Basic Materials.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026
Its billionaire founder Jamie Salter built an empire by picking off labels such as Reebok and Champion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
“Ownership of the paper, whether it’s owned by a billionaire or whether it’s owned by a small entrepreneur, should not determine whether or not the government is going to allow for tax credits,” Champion said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
"I think the Diamond League is a fantastic concept that should be cultivated. It will take a long time before people understand what an Ultimate Champion is," Warholm told Norwegian media outlet VG.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
“Quite wonderful, perfectly exquisite! Friar Hugo, you are truly my Champion Chef. Please serve our guests your masterwork.”
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
The PGA Tour had opened a window in January for recent major champions, such as Rahm, to return if they accepted certain financial penalties.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
Two league champions meet in a City Section Division 1 opener.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
Emery, who celebrated his 55th birthday on Tuesday, wanted to use it as a barometer for their progress, to see how they compared with the current La Liga leaders and five-time European champions.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
One likely absentee is Scott McKenna, who has missed Dinamo Zagreb's past two games and has been ruled out for the next two weeks by the Croatian champions.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
They had their champions, and somewhere we must have ours.
From "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Bass points to fast-tracked affordable housing, while Raman has championed strong tenant protections.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026
Taylor, who declined to be interviewed for this story, has said that the laws he has championed prioritize public safety.
From Salon ● Oct. 28, 2026
The high-profile project, championed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been dogged by criticism over the deaths of several of the cats.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
Max Eberl, Bayern Munich's board member for sport, championed Kane and Michael Olise but said the best players, external "are the ones who don't need to run a campaign".
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
Not every demonstrator had the self-control to obey the discipline of nonviolent resistance championed by Dr. King.
From "Because They Marched" by Russell Freedman
She won partners’ support by championing a remaking of Weil that would bulk up in practice areas including private equity to help it better compete with behemoths like Latham & Watkins and Kirkland & Ellis.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
Mi-ok has to tell Ye-ji that her expensive clothes don’t jibe with someone championing labor issues.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026
In addition to championing the executive order, she also signed it — a purely symbolic act, as the formal role of first ladies is ceremonial.
From Salon ● Oct. 21, 2026
"We also welcome the European Parliament's leadership in championing a harmonised, Europe-wide framework to keep kids safe," Cook said during a visit to an Apple store in Strasbourg.
From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026
"My lady, I beg the boon of championing your cause."
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
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