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

This year, Miami is favored to again make the NCAAs, although the RedHawks need to win the MAC tournament to secure an automatic berth. —Tim Casey, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026

Some counties have expressed concerns for their athletes ahead of the men’s World Cup soccer tournament being played in North America this summer. —Laurence Miedema, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026

The Iowa Hawkeyes alumni returned to support Clark's college basketball team at their game against Michigan State during the Big Ten tournament. —Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 22 Jan. 2026

UConn is 19th in the NCAA Percentage Index (NPI), the official metric for tournament selection, so two wins at CT Ice, particularly if one is over Quinnipiac, ninth in NPI, would be a big deal. —Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 22 Jan. 2026

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