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

Khelif did not compete in an international boxing tournament in the Netherlands last summer after failing to register in time before the applications closed. —Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 6 Feb. 2026

The Mission League boys basketball tournament championship game between Sierra Canyon and Notre Dame was canceled out of respect for a Sierra Canyon student who died early Wednesday morning from a car accident. —Tarek Fattal, Daily News, 5 Feb. 2026

The Milan-Cortina kickoff follows in the wake of the sprawling opening ceremony for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, which took place on the River Seine and was the tournament’s first set outside of a stadium. —Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 5 Feb. 2026

The women’s Olympic tournament could continue the viewership trend. —Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 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