victory
Americannoun
-
a success or triumph over an enemy in battle or war.
- Antonyms:
- defeat
-
an engagement ending in such triumph.
American victories in the Pacific were won at great cost.
- Antonyms:
- defeat
-
the ultimate and decisive superiority in any battle or contest.
The new vaccine effected a victory over poliomyelitis.
- Antonyms:
- defeat
-
a success or superior position achieved against any opponent, opposition, difficulty, etc..
a moral victory.
-
(initial capital letter) the ancient Roman goddess Victoria, often represented in statues or on coins as the personification of victory.
noun
-
final and complete superiority in a war
-
a successful military engagement
-
a success attained in a contest or struggle or over an opponent, obstacle, or problem
-
the act of triumphing or state of having triumphed
noun
-
another name (in English) for Victoria 3
-
another name (in English) for Nike
Synonym Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of victory
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English victorie, from Latin victōria, equivalent to victōr-, stem of victor victor + -ia -y 3
Explanation
A victory is a win. In sports or war, one side usually achieves victory. If you've ever won anything, you've achieved a victory: being successful in some kind of contest, sport, or battle. The winners of elections, football games, chess matches, debates, and scholarships all have won impressive victories. In war, there's victory too. People who overcome a disease such as cancer also consider that a victory. The opposite of victory is defeat.
Vocabulary lists containing victory
Vocabulary of the Summer Olympics
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This Week In Words: Current Events Vocab for February 6–12, 2021
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President Obama's second inaugural address
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Victory at Sea was a big deal in its heyday.
From Slate • Jun. 11, 2026
She was gifted a pair of Nike Victory Pro 4 golf shoes from LeBron James but changed out of them after six holes because they felt too roomy.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
The full commercial production of AI-computing hardware, known broadly as Vera Rubin, should be positive for players in Nvidia’s supply chain, including Foxconn Industrial Internet, Victory Giant Technology and WUS Printed Circuit in China.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026
Victory moves Bunting above Gian van Veen and Michael van Gerwen to secure a fifth-place finish in the final standings.
From BBC • May 21, 2026
“Just let me show you what I’ve brought. Did you bring some of that filthy Victory Coffee? I thought you would. You can chuck it away again, because we shan’t be needing it. Look here.”
From "1984" by George Orwell
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.