heavyweight
noun
heavy·weight
ˈhe-vē-ˌwāt 
often attributive
1
: one that is above average in weight
2
: one in the usually heaviest class of contestants: such as
a
: a boxer in an unlimited weight division compare light heavyweight
b
: a weight lifter weighing more than 198 pounds
3
: one that possesses great power, prominence, or stature
industry heavyweights
Examples of heavyweight in a Sentence
Their company is one of the industry's heavyweights.
a heavyweight in the U.S. Senate, he has a lot of clout in judicial confirmations
Recent Examples on the Web
Hollywood heavyweights are also joining a mounting wave of resistance against Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
—
James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
In this case, the alliance is a loose network of tech startups, developers and public interest technologists committed to making AI more open and trustworthy and to checking the power of industry heavyweights like OpenAI and Anthropic.
—Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 27 Jan. 2026
My heavyweight set is the Rose from Kari Traa ($140 for the top, $100 for the bottoms), a women’s-specific brand that offers extra insulation in places like the neck and hips, where female bodies are more likely to lose heat.
—Kaelyn Lynch, Outside, 23 Jan. 2026
Starpower is a currency that goes a long way, as brands race to claim Hollywood heavyweights and hot young things, curating an envoy of beautiful, young, relevant people who are said to represent the brand’s interests and values.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 23 Jan. 2026
While Outdoor Voices struggled to compete with apparel heavyweights like Lululemon, Haney spent her time elsewhere.
—Alexandra York, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
The cohort is also backed by industry heavyweights; last year’s fashion allies included Lululemon and Saks Global while program partners included HSBC and SAP.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 22 Jan. 2026
Sophomores Hunter Jessee, Chase Wagamugh and Thomas Thorne are also highly-ranked, as is junior heavyweight Renzo Cooligan.
—Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Jan. 2026
Two artificial intelligence heavyweights will face off in court this spring, in a case that could have far-reaching outcomes for the future of AI.
—Billy Perrigo, Time, 20 Jan. 2026
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.
James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
In this case, the alliance is a loose network of tech startups, developers and public interest technologists committed to making AI more open and trustworthy and to checking the power of industry heavyweights like OpenAI and Anthropic.
—Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 27 Jan. 2026
My heavyweight set is the Rose from Kari Traa ($140 for the top, $100 for the bottoms), a women’s-specific brand that offers extra insulation in places like the neck and hips, where female bodies are more likely to lose heat.
—Kaelyn Lynch, Outside, 23 Jan. 2026
Starpower is a currency that goes a long way, as brands race to claim Hollywood heavyweights and hot young things, curating an envoy of beautiful, young, relevant people who are said to represent the brand’s interests and values.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 23 Jan. 2026
While Outdoor Voices struggled to compete with apparel heavyweights like Lululemon, Haney spent her time elsewhere.
—Alexandra York, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
The cohort is also backed by industry heavyweights; last year’s fashion allies included Lululemon and Saks Global while program partners included HSBC and SAP.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 22 Jan. 2026
Sophomores Hunter Jessee, Chase Wagamugh and Thomas Thorne are also highly-ranked, as is junior heavyweight Renzo Cooligan.
—Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Jan. 2026
Two artificial intelligence heavyweights will face off in court this spring, in a case that could have far-reaching outcomes for the future of AI.
—Billy Perrigo, Time, 20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Heavyweight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heavyweight. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
heavyweight
noun
heavy·weight
ˈhev-ē-ˌwāt
1
: one above average in weight
2
: one in the heaviest class of contestants
especially
: a boxer in an unlimited weight division
3
: someone or something that is very important or powerful
a company that is an industry heavyweight
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
