tournament

noun

tour·​na·​ment ˈtu̇r-nə-mənt How to pronounce tournament (audio)
also ˈtər-
or ˈtȯr-
Synonyms of tournamentnext
1
: a series of games or contests that make up a single unit of competition (as on a professional golf tour), the championship playoffs of a league or conference, or an invitational event
2
a
: a knightly sport of the Middle Ages between mounted combatants armed with blunted lances or swords and divided into two parties contesting for a prize or favor bestowed by the lady of the tournament
b
: the whole series of knightly sports, jousts, and tilts occurring at one time and place

Examples of tournament in a Sentence

She's an excellent tennis player who has won many tournaments. a golf tournament in which professionals compete against amateurs
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
His next stop is Africa's biggest international soccer tournament, where he was invited to showcase the game in Morocco. Michal Ruprecht, NPR, 28 Dec. 2025 Marty lived for the Friday-night cash tournaments that packed Lawrence’s and often ran through dawn. Julien Levy, Rolling Stone, 27 Dec. 2025 Millennium is coming off a tournament in Hawaii, and Sunnyslope at the Damien Classic in California. Richard Obert, AZCentral.com, 27 Dec. 2025 International table tennis tournaments were recreated at Meadowlands Arena in New Jersey. Pat Saperstein, Variety, 27 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tournament

Word History

Etymology

Middle English tornement, from Anglo-French turneiement, from turneier

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of tournament was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tournament.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tournament. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

tournament

noun
tour·​na·​ment ˈtu̇r-nə-mənt How to pronounce tournament (audio)
also ˈtər-
or ˈtȯr-
1
: a contest of skill and courage between knights wearing armor and fighting with blunted lances or swords
2
: a contest or series of contests played for a championship

More from Merriam-Webster on tournament

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