tournament

noun

tour·​na·​ment ˈtu̇r-nə-mənt How to pronounce tournament (audio)
 also  ˈtər-,
 or  ˈtȯr-
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.
The competitions: Besides the MLS season, Columbus will participate in three other tournaments this year. Andrew King, Axios, 21 Feb. 2025 The stakes for Thursday's game were raised amid physical hostility between the teams throughout the tournament and geopolitical tension between the two countries in recent weeks. Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 21 Feb. 2025 What was once a friendly, neighborly rivalry on the ice has become a high-stakes political showdown in Thursday night's 4 Nations Face-Off tournament championship hockey game between the U.S. and Canada. Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 21 Feb. 2025 The Gamecocks still have a tremendous tournament resume and could wind up with a No. 1 seed, with games against Vanderbilt, Ole Miss and Kentucky remaining to close SEC play. Mark Schindler, The Athletic, 21 Feb. 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

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Cite this Entry

“Tournament.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tournament. Accessed 27 Feb. 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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