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.
And festivals—not to mention tennis tournaments—require food. Tim Newcomb, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025 Tennis Australia first experimented with this on one court during last year’s tournament, hoping to attract gamers and a younger audience to the sport. Howard Fendrich, Chicago Tribune, 16 Jan. 2025 Throughout the season, all three days of LIV Golf tournament competition will air live across the Fox family of networks with more than half of the League’s schedule airing on Fox or FS1. Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 16 Jan. 2025 The 2026 World Cup, to be held in the U.S., Mexico and Canada, has been expanded to 48 teams for the first time in the tournament’s history. Felipe Cardenas, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 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

Dictionary Entries Near tournament

Cite this Entry

“Tournament.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tournament. Accessed 22 Jan. 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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