contestant

noun

con·​tes·​tant kən-ˈte-stənt 

 also  ˈkän-ˌte-

1

: one that participates in a contest

2

: one that contests an award or decision

Synonyms

• challenger
• competition
• competitor
• contender
• corrival
• rival

Examples of contestant in a Sentence

The contestant who catches the most fish wins.

The winning contestants will receive a cash prize.

Recent Examples on the Web

After serving as a mentor to contestants on American Idol last year, Jelly Roll is taking a more prominent position on the series. —Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Feb. 2025

Grade it below, then vote for your favorite of the night’s contestants. —Charlie Mason, TVLine, 3 Feb. 2025

Lydia ultimately won the resulting lip-sync against fellow contestant Arrietty, who was saved by the show's new Badonka Dunk Tank twist after pulling one of 10 random levers attached to giant dunk tank. —EW.com, 1 Feb. 2025

The Traitors star and The Amazing Race contestant first met in 2003 while competing on Survivor: All-Stars, the eighth season of the long-running CBS series that pitted 18 former contestants against one another. —Emily Blackwood, People.com, 31 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

contest entry 1 + -ant entry 1

First Known Use

1665, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

contestant

noun

con·​test·​ant

kən-ˈtes-tənt,

 also  ˈkän-ˌtes-

: a person who takes part in a contest

Legal Definition

contestant

noun

con·​tes·​tant

: one that initiates or participates in a contest