victory

[vik-tuh-ree, vik-tree]

noun

plural

victories 

1. a success or triumph over an enemy in battle or war.

   Antonyms: defeat

2. an engagement ending in such triumph.

   American victories in the Pacific were won at great cost.

   Antonyms: defeat

3. the ultimate and decisive superiority in any battle or contest.

   The new vaccine effected a victory over poliomyelitis.

   Antonyms: defeat

4. a success or superior position achieved against any opponent, opposition, difficulty, etc..

   a moral victory.

5. (initial capital letter),  the ancient Roman goddess Victoria, often represented in statues or on coins as the personification of victory.

victory

¹

/ ˈvɪktərɪ /

noun

1. final and complete superiority in a war

2. a successful military engagement

3. a success attained in a contest or struggle or over an opponent, obstacle, or problem

4. the act of triumphing or state of having triumphed

Victory

²

/ ˈvɪktərɪ /

noun

1. another name (in English) for Victoria 3

2. another name (in English) for Nike

Other Word Forms

• victoryless adjective
• nonvictory noun
• supervictory noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of victory¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English victorie, from Latin victōria, equivalent to victōr-, stem of victor victor + -ia -y ³

Word History and Origins

Origin of victory¹

C14: from Old French victorie, from Latin victōria, from vincere to subdue

Idioms and Phrases

see pyrrhic victory.

Synonym Study

Victory, conquest, triumph refer to a successful outcome of a struggle. Victory suggests the decisive defeat of an opponent in a contest of any kind: victory in battle; a football victory. Conquest implies the taking over of control by the victor, and the obedience of the conquered: a war of conquest; the conquest of Peru. Triumph implies a particularly outstanding victory: the triumph of a righteous cause; the triumph of justice.

Example Sentences

But the Brewers, who entered Tuesday sitting four victories away from securing a spot in the World Series for the first time since 1982, are anything but ordinary.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Snell shut out the Milwaukee Brewers for eight innings on Monday, the undisputed star as the Dodgers opened the National League Championship Series with a 2-1 victory.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The 28-year-old has managed just 31 minutes of Premier League football this season, and has not featured since the 2-0 victory over Manchester City on 23 August due to persistent ankle issues.

Read more on BBC

The Dodgers absorbed the Brewers’ best collective shot, and they emerged with a victory that won them control of the best-of-seven National League Championship Series.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The Dodgers absorbed the Brewers’ best collective shot, and they emerged with a victory that won them control of the best-of-seven series.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• achievement 
• advantage 
• defeat 
• gain 
• grand slam 
• hit 
• sweep 
• triumph 
• winning