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

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

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

One challenge for drivers has been the rise of “negative equity,” which happens when the person owes more on the loan than the vehicle’s value.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026

In one of the world's most AI-connected societies, the village's greatest challenge is not fading belief in fortune-telling, but the way it is consumed.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

Evans said it was "a significant challenge for us" which had "an impact on people's life prospects".

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

But getting the inflation problem fully under control has proved an enduring challenge.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

Here was a definite challenge for Bobby, and he attempted to stay focused and confident by carefully studying Geller’s other games in the tournament.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

But in the Maghreb, it challenges stereotypes of families tending to be large.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

In a report published this month, Japan’s defense ministry said Japan faces its most severe and complex set of security challenges in 80 years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

Maha told the Today programme she made the bar to highlight the challenges facing the cocoa growing industry.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

But several logistical challenges proved hard to solve, and one element was the studios’ decision to reduce their inventory of soundstages.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

“I will set you a series of challenges, and you will tell me how you might overcome them with the resources I give you.”

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

“Innovation is a little more challenged to bring in new customers in this environment,” Penegor said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

Starting a year ago, the court itself began to employ the term biological sex in equal-protection decisions in which transgender claimants challenged laws imposing requirements for gender-affirming care, passport identification, and participation in sports.

From Slate ● Aug. 7, 2026

A group of seven states also challenged the TotalEnergies agreement in court, arguing that the deal misused government funds and failed to follow proper administrative procedures.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

Farage also challenged Bercow for the seat that year and came third.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

Yet, once those ideas were challenged, progress was breathtakingly rapid—after fifteen centuries of stagnation, there have been fewer than another five centuries from the time of Copernicus to the present day.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin

Agreeableness, she found, was one of the more challenging traits to develop.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026

NHS medical director Prof Frankie Swords praised the "outstanding professionalism" of staff and said the situation was making delivering care challenging.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

“It was going to be challenging to have it inside to begin with, but I was looking forward to it,” Polizzi said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

The company said it remains on track to achieve full-year guidance despite operating in an increasingly challenging market environment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

He glares at me as though challenging me to speak.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

Related Words

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