champion

1 of 2

noun

cham·​pi·​on ˈcham-pē-ən How to pronounce champion (audio)
1
: a winner of first prize or first place in competition
a tennis champion
also : one who shows marked superiority
a champion at selling
2
: a militant advocate or defender
a champion of civil rights
3
: warrior, fighter
a champion of his king
4
: one that does battle for another's rights or honor
God will raise me up a championSir Walter Scott

champion

2 of 2

verb

championed; championing; champions

transitive verb

1
: to act as militant supporter of : uphold, advocate
always champions the cause of the underdog
2
: to protect or fight for as a champion
championed the ladies chivalrously in the tilts
3
archaic : challenge, defy
Choose the Right Synonym for champion

support, uphold, advocate, back, champion mean to favor actively one that meets opposition.

support is least explicit about the nature of the assistance given.

supports waterfront development

uphold implies extended support given to something attacked.

upheld the legitimacy of the military action

advocate stresses urging or pleading.

advocated prison reform

back suggests supporting by lending assistance to one failing or falling.

refusing to back the call for sanctions

champion suggests publicly defending one unjustly attacked or too weak to advocate his or her own cause.

championed the rights of children

Examples of champion in a Sentence

Noun the heavyweight boxing champion of the world Our team will play the defending champions next week. the newly crowned national champions He was a champion for the working classes. Verb She is a lawyer who champions children's rights. Our senator championed the idea of lowering taxes.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
With their nation’s flag draped over their shoulders, the champions were seeing green — $6,000 of it apiece — and posed for pictures together after finishing minutes apart. Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2024 The 2024 singles champions will each go home with $1.1 million, while the doubles winners will each get $447,300. Danielle Directo-Meston, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Mar. 2024 Wednesday, May 1, 7 p.m. vs. Portland Thorns FC: Bay FC will face off against the three-time NWSL champions. Jason Mastrodonato, The Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2024 In 2016, Amon was hired as producer in residence at San Diego Rep, a longtime champion of Latinx playwrights. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Mar. 2024 April 8 will also be the day a new NCAA men's basketball champion is crowned. Phaedra Trethan, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2024 In an update about the health of their father, which was posted by Kenzie to the 59-year-old’s Facebook and Instagram accounts, the former UFC heavyweight champion can be seen sitting up in bed and talking. Sam Joseph, CNN, 15 Mar. 2024 Porto should be contenders to be champion of Europe. Rory Smith, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2024 Back in April 2022, following the Australian Grand Prix, the three-time driver’s champion slammed the Aston Martin for being slower than Mercedes-AMG’s safety car at the time, which was based on the GT Black Series. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2024
Verb
Over the past century, the aphorism has become a battle cry for architects and designers, defining a modernist aesthetic that champions the minimal and the refined over the busy and the ornamental as a path toward better living. Lauren Gallow, Robb Report, 17 Mar. 2024 Case in point: the ubiquity of the slip dress, which was championed by the likes of Kate Moss, Gwyneth Paltrow and Naomi Campbell back in the day. Alexandre Marain, Vogue, 15 Mar. 2024 The Democratic governor, who has otherwise championed policies protecting women’s health, said such chemical bans have proven difficult to implement and caused confusion. Mackenzie Mays, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024 Various artists applauded Parton for championing Beyoncé, including Morgane Stapleton and Queen Latifah. Tatiana Tenreyro, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2024 But the current council majority, elected in 2022, has pushed the city further right, with Tuesday’s ballot measures just the latest in a growing list of MAGA priorities that conservatives have championed. Reis Thebault, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 Jered Taylor, a former Missouri Republican lawmaker who championed that state’s bill nullifying federal gun laws, insisted law enforcement concerns were overblown. Katie Bernard, Kansas City Star, 7 Mar. 2024 That was also the country’s industrial base; there, wartime destruction created ample opportunity to champion the workers who would rebuild the nation. Elisabeth Zerofsky, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 Bami and Sinha were speaking on a panel about championing women’s stories in the age of streaming during the ongoing Frames conference in Mumbai, organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 6 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'champion.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin campion-, campio, of West Germanic origin; akin to Old English cempa warrior

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Verb

circa 1616, in the meaning defined at sense 3

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

Dictionary Entries Near champion

Cite this Entry

“Champion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/champion. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

champion

1 of 2 noun
cham·​pi·​on ˈcham-pē-ən How to pronounce champion (audio)
1
: a person who fights or speaks for another person or in favor of a cause
2
: the winner of first prize or first place in a competition
also : one showing superior skill or ability

champion

2 of 2 verb
: to protect or fight for as a champion

More from Merriam-Webster on champion

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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