tournament

noun

tour·​na·​ment ˈtu̇r-nə-mənt 

 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

Synonyms of tournament

• competition
• event
• game
• championship
• match
• contest
• tourney

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

Opening batter Verma, who was only called back into the squad as injury cover for the finals, scored a career-best 87 off 78 balls as the tournament co-host reached 298-7 in 50 overs after losing the toss and being sent in to bat. —CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025

The tournament is officially underway, having kicked off on November 3, 2025 with multiple opening day matches. —Jenzia Burgos, StyleCaster, 3 Nov. 2025

Collins’ 2025 season in Grand Slam tournaments didn’t exactly go as planned. —Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2025

And in arguably the most competitive conference in the sport, that might be enough to prevent the Aggies from making the tournament. —The Athletic College Basketball Staff, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing tournament

• pre-tournament

Kids Definition

tournament

noun

tour·​na·​ment ˈtu̇r-nə-mənt 

 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