What does championship mean?
Championship is a noun with two principal meanings: it denotes a formal competition or series of contests organized to determine the best competitor in a sport, game, or field of endeavor, and it also names the title or status that the winner earns. The word appears constantly in sports coverage — from world championships to local tournaments — but extends beyond athletics into chess, debate, music competitions, and professional fields. A third, somewhat more formal sense describes active support or advocacy of a person or cause, as in someone's championship of civil rights. Derived from the same root as champion, championship carries strong connotations of excellence, victory, and prestige; winning one typically confers lasting recognition. It is a versatile, everyday word whose plural form is championships.
nounA competition or series of contests held to determine a winner in a sport, game, or field of activity; the title or status of being champion.
- A competition or tournament held to determine a champion in a sport, game, or activity.
- The title, status, or distinction of being a champion.
- Vigorous public support or defense of a person, cause, or idea (as in 'her championship of reform').
"She won the national chess championship at just sixteen years old."
"The team celebrated their first league championship in over two decades."
"His tireless championship of environmental causes earned him widespread respect."
Standard English plural, formed by adding -s. Used when referring to multiple contests or titles, e.g., across different years or categories.
"She has collected three consecutive championships in the women's singles division."
The word 'championship' traces back to Latin 'campus' — meaning 'field' — because early champions literally battled on an open field.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of championship
Championship derives from champion, which entered English from Old French 'champion', ultimately rooted in Late Latin 'campionem', from 'campus' meaning field or battlefield. The suffix '-ship' forms nouns denoting condition or status, so championship originally conveyed the state of being a champion before extending to mean the contest that decides one. Cognates include chivalry and chivalrous, sharing the same Latin root.
How championship is actually used
Primarily neutral to positive in connotation, associated with achievement and excellence. The sense of advocacy ('championship of a cause') is more formal and less common than the sporting senses.
Easily confused with championship
Champion refers to the person who wins, while championship refers to the contest itself or the title/status won.