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

Unfortunately, one night while playing a late tennis tournament in college, Ekmark planted her feet wrong and tore her ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), one of the main ligaments in the knee. —Ernestine Siu, CNBC, 17 Nov. 2025

Halfway through the tournament, the scrappy underdogs of Team USA had two gold medals, but the Russian march to first place continued. —Heather Abbott, CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025

With both nations sharpening their squads ahead of the global tournament, this matchup offers a valuable test for two sides trending in very different directions. —Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Nov. 2025

The tournament draws a mix of racing personalities, celebrities and poker pros, with Phil Hellmuth emceeing for the second year and competitors including Jennifer Tilly, Antonio Esfandiari, David Coulthard, Courtney Crone, Paul Oz and Kym Illman. —Melinda Sheckells, HollywoodReporter, 16 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