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• champion
  champion

  noun

  a person who has defeated all opponents in a competition or series of competitions, so as to hold first place.
• Champion
  Champion

  noun

  Gower 1921–80, U.S. choreographer.

champion

¹ American  

[cham-pee-uhn] / ˈtʃæm pi ən /

noun

• champions
  plural

1. a person who has defeated all opponents in a competition or series of competitions, so as to hold first place.

   the heavyweight boxing champion.

   Synonyms:

   victor, winner

   Antonyms:

   loser

2. anything that takes first place in competition.

   the champion of a cattle show.

3. an animal that has won a certain number of points in officially recognized shows.

   This dog is a champion.

4. a person who fights for or defends any person or cause.

   a champion of the oppressed.

   Synonyms:

   protector, defender

5. a fighter or warrior.

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verb (used with object)

• champions,
  present (3rd person singular)
• championed,
  past participle,  past
• championing
  present participle

1. to act as champion of; defend; support.

   to champion a cause.

   Synonyms:

   advocate, maintain

2. Obsolete. to defy.

adjective

1. first among all contestants or competitors.

2. Informal. first-rate.

Champion ² American  

[cham-pee-uhn] / ˈtʃæm pi ən /

noun

1. Gower 1921–80, U.S. choreographer.

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champion British  

/ ˈtʃæmpɪən /

noun

1. 1. a person who has defeated all others in a competition

      a chess champion

   2. ( as modifier )

      a champion team

2. 1. a plant or animal that wins first place in a show, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      a champion marrow

3. a person who defends a person or cause

   champion of the underprivileged

4. (formerly) a warrior or knight who did battle for another, esp a king or queen, to defend their rights or honour

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adjective

1. dialect first rate; excellent

adverb

1. dialect very well; excellently

verb

1. to support; defend

   we champion the cause of liberty

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonchampion
  noun
• championless
  adjective
• championlike
  adjective
• prechampioned
  adjective
• unchampioned
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• champions
  plural

Participles

• championing
  present
• championed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• champion
  simple
• champions
  simple
• have championed
  perfect
• has championed
  perfect
• am championing
  progressive
• are championing
  progressive
• is championing
  progressive
• have been championing
  perfect progressive
• has been championing
  perfect progressive

Past

• championed
  simple
• had championed
  perfect
• was championing
  progressive
• were championing
  progressive
• had been championing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will champion
  simple
• will have championed
  perfect
• will be championing
  progressive
• will have been championing
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

champion Champion champions championed championing

Council Veterans' champion, DUP councillor Philip Anderson, said he was "profoundly saddened" by Irwin's death, describing him as a humble and inspirational man.

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026

She still believes the smaller, more challenging films Telluride tends to champion have “genuine shots” in the Oscar race.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026

Russian Daniil Medvedev, a former world number one and the 2021 US Open champion, said the more focus on the sport the better, and any problems can be ironed out.

From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026

Olympic long jump champion Tara Davis-Woodhall says she is "lucky and blessed to be alive" after being involved in a car crash.

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

“A true researcher is a champion of facts, not make-believe. There’s a reason they’re shelved on the fiction side of the library.”

From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston

He is a two-time AVP League Champion and three-time winner on the AVP Tour.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

He picked up a rosette for "Supreme Champion, Oldest Handler" for his efforts.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

The fund known as Champ—an acronym for Champion Athlete Managing Partner—and a handful of other investors are putting nearly $50 million in Rhoback, according to people familiar with the matter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026

Dressing head-to-toe in ethical clothing can feel as impossible as a stuck zipper, especially now that legacy manufacturers like Eddie Bauer and Champion have sold their brand names to a shoddier conglomerate.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026

From the approaching crashing noises, she knew another Champion was on his way out.

From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas

But Arsenal had been champions 12 months before he arrived, and it took until Henry's third season for the Gunners to reclaim that crown.

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026

A couple of charming shots show them walking the site with rancher Ed Pozzi, who became one of their local champions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

Acme, its champions surely understood that Zaslav is only the latest of his kind.

From Slate ● Sep. 1, 2026

Indeed, newly-promoted Ipswich Town have spent more on new signings than the likes of Barcelona, AC Milan, Juventus and reigning European champions PSG.

From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026

“That’s what I’m telling you. Traditionally, the champions and their partners open the ball.”

From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling

Berry championed sustainable farming and rural community preservation and railed against industrial agriculture and corporate agribusiness.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

Later, as an independent councillor and then leader of the council, he helped secure funding for projects across Merthyr Tydfil and championed investment in education and community development.

From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026

The steady checks from the university took the pressure off my pages as they championed my books with launch events in their auditoriums, sharing good reviews on their vast website.

From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026

A focus on the money supply, championed in the 20th century by Milton Friedman, has fallen out of favor with the modern Fed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Prometheus was a Greek god who championed mankind, stealing fire for them from Zeus, being tortured for eternity as his punishment.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Larson’s loss didn’t result from his championing Social Security.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

Former Toyota head Hiroshi Okuda, credited with championing the pioneering Prius hybrid and turning the Japanese automaker into a global titan, has died aged 93, the firm said Wednesday.

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

But several of the acts championing $20 tickets are juggernauts on the road.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

Annie Lennox was appointed an OBE for her "tireless charity campaigns and championing of humanitarian causes"

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

She had a long history of championing public causes.

From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein

Related Words

• challenger
• champ
• defender
• hero
• medalist
• number one
• winner