noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
See Examples For:
It’s not that I forget about the cameras, but I understand, being a contestant, this is their real life that’s happening.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
You just have to click as fast as a “Jeopardy!” contestant to grab it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Robert Pattinson’s oily suitor woos Penelope like a “Bachelorette” contestant: “It’s time to live again,” he urges her, certain that Penelope’s vengeful husband won’t come back.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
Not for nothing has Grant been a contestant 13 times on the BBC's Mastermind game show, thanks in part to his prolific knowledge of the UK capital.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
So, roughly speaking, the typical contestant will vote to eliminate the worse players in the early rounds and the better players in the later rounds.
From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt
Dent said she had seen contestants dress up, sing and dance in the studio.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
That this is a reflection of America is taken as a given, the same way “Love Is Blind” contestants don’t feel the need to mention their evangelical beliefs.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
But with 10 contestants running, it’s more likely that the contest will narrow the field to a two-candidate runoff to be held Aug. 25.
From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026
The YouTube channel also offers selected vintage episodes of the show featuring early appearances by contestants who compete in “Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
Felix only half listened as a camera panned around the arena and stopped on contestants.
From "Millionaires for the Month" by Stacey McAnulty
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.
