tournament

American  

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

noun

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

• pretournament noun

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

Although attendance for the 63-match tournament was nearly 2.5 million, four games drew fewer than 8,500 fans.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

McIlroy hasn’t lost that ability—he led the tournament in average driving distance.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

“I think all of my perseverance at this golf tournament over the years has really started to pay off.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

But the 18-year-old former French Open semi-finalist played her way back into the match to win the tournament, which was being staged on clay for the first time.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

Arthur Bisguier, the highest rated player in the tournament, also finished with a score of 10–2.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Related Words

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