tournament

American  

[toor-nuh-muhnt, tur-] / ˈtʊər nə mənt, ˈtɜr- /

noun

tournaments plural

1. a trial of skill in some game, in which competitors play a series of contests.

   a chess tournament.

2. a meeting for contests in a variety of sports, as between teams of different nations.

3. History/Historical.

   1. a contest or martial sport in which two opposing parties of mounted and armored combatants fought for a prize, with blunted weapons and in accordance with certain rules.

   2. a meeting at an appointed time and place for the performance of knightly exercises and sports.

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tournament British  

/ ˈtɜː-, ˈtʊənəmənt, ˈtɔː- /

noun

1. a sporting competition in which contestants play a series of games to determine an overall winner

2. a meeting for athletic or other sporting contestants

   an archery tournament

3. medieval history

   1. (originally) a martial sport or contest in which mounted combatants fought for a prize

   2. (later) a meeting for knightly sports and exercises

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• pretournament
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• tournaments
  plural

Etymology

Origin of tournament

1175–1225; Middle English tornement < Old French torneiement, equivalent to torne ( ier ) to tourney + -ment -ment

Explanation

A tournament refers to a gathering of competitors playing a series of games. There are chess tournaments, golf tournaments, tennis tournaments, and a number of tournaments titled “Tournament of Champions.” In medieval times, large groups of knights would gather and compete in a tournament. These tournaments were composed of a number of fighting events. In the melee event, the knights were divided into two teams which would ride at each other with lances, trying to unhorse the opposing knights. There is evidence that weapons were not blunted for these tournaments. Ouch.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tournament tournaments

Unfortunately, Green never notched another one at a major international tournament again.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

There was the Erling Haaland game, when Norway’s ponytailed striker bludgeoned Brazil out of the tournament.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

In 2010, four years after reaching the final for the second time in three tries, the players revolted against coach Raymond Domenech during the tournament.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026

A World Cup prediction: As Jeremy Stahl has watched this tournament progress, he’s become convinced that he knows how it will end.

From Slate ● Jul. 13, 2026

Eventually, he asked the tournament organizers to rope off the area around his board, because the crowds would gather and gape, often for hours at a time, while he was playing.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Seeing the professionalism he brings every day to practice, on and off the court, while traveling and when showing up to tournaments, it rubs off on you and that’s really motivating to see.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026

A World Cup body of work that, even by the Real Madrid midfielder's lofty standards, has been as mesmerising as we've seen in an England shirt in recent major tournaments.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

England’s principal soccer rivals are mostly powerhouse teams that have knocked them out of major tournaments in a variety of excruciating and soul-crushing ways—Germany, Argentina, France.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026

Aside from reaching back-to-back tournaments in 1994 and 1998, Norway have endured long spells absent from major competition, last featuring at a showpiece tournament at Euro 2000.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

The little kid who used to follow me around, beg me for puzzles, interrupt me at chess tournaments with healthy snacks.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• contest
• event
• fight
• match
• meeting
• series
• sport
• test
• tourney