noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of contestant
From French, dating back to 1655–65; see origin at contest, -ant
Explanation
A contestant is someone who competes in a game or contest. Contestants in many beauty competitions need to demonstrate a talent, like singing or dancing, as well as look pretty. If you're a contestant on a TV game show, you might have to answer trivia questions, and if you're a debate contestant, you need to argue your case clearly. You can also be a contestant in a sporting competition or on a reality show. Contestant comes from the verb contest, from the French contester, "oppose," which has a Latin root, contestari, "to bring action."
Vocabulary lists containing contestant
Vocabulary of the Summer Olympics
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Out of My Mind
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Alex Trebek (1940–2020) Tribute List
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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.
During a teaser before the challenge, Probst accidentally announced that contestant Rizo Velovic had lost and didn’t make the final three.
From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026
“What a great twist,” contestant Benjamin “Coach” Wade told The Times in March.
From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026
Eurovision organizers capped votes at 10 per person and warned Israel’s broadcaster Kan after its lobbying campaign for a past contestant.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 2026
At Tuesday's semi-final, the country's contestant Noam Bettan faced a mixture of cheers and booing from the audience.
From BBC • May 15, 2026
They had a device that made a loud clicking sound up there in the balcony, and when that noisy dicker sounded, the contestant was supposed to stop singing in midpassage and walk off the stage.
From "The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights" by Russell Freedman
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.
