titleholder

[tahyt-l-hohl-der]

noun

1. a person who holds a title.

2. Sports.,  a person who holds a championship; present champion.

titleholder

/ ˈtaɪtəlˌhəʊldə /

noun

1. a person who holds a title, esp a sporting championship

Other Word Forms

• titleholding adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of titleholder¹

First recorded in 1900–05; title + holder

Example Sentences

The 2018 titleholder, Catriona Gray, urged her 13.8 million Instagram followers to help a charity bring safe drinking water to thousands left homeless by back-to-back super typhoons in the Philippines.

Read more on BBC

The Kahlo also became the world’s priciest Latin American artwork by besting the $34.9 million that Buenos Aires real-estate developer Eduardo Costantini paid in 2021 for the previous titleholder, a different Kahlo from 1949, “Diego y yo.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The painting also now joins a coveted group of art trophies that have sold for over $100 million, led by the reigning titleholder, a $450 million Leonardo da Vinci, “Salvator Mundi,” that Christie’s sold in 2017.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Then, the 31-year-old American was returning as a previous titleholder; he was also the recently crowned US PGA champion and a week away from taking his second major by lifting the Claret Jug at Royal Troon.

Read more on BBC

Then there’s current titleholder Liza Colón-Zayas, who top-lined perhaps the most memorable episode of “The Bear’s” third season.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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