What does tournament mean?
A tournament is a competition in which contestants or teams play a succession of games, matches, or rounds, with the overall winner usually crowned champion. The term is especially common in sports and games such as tennis, golf, chess, and esports, but it can describe any elimination- or points-based competition arranged around a set of rules. Historically, a tournament referred to a medieval chivalrous contest in which mounted knights tried to strike one another with lances. Today, the word can suggest both prestige and organization: a major event may have qualifying rounds, seeded competitors, knockout stages, and substantial prizes. It also has a slightly grand or formal tone when compared with the broader “competition” and is often used for a multi-stage event rather than one isolated game.
nounA competition, typically consisting of successive games, matches, or rounds, in which contestants compete under a common set of rules to determine a champion. Historically, a tournament was a chivalrous jousting contest.
- A series of games, matches, or rounds of play conducted under a common set of rules, typically to determine a champion.
- Historically, a chivalrous contest in which mounted competitors, especially knights, rode at one another with blunted lances during the medieval period.
"Her strong performance in the final round secured her victory in the tournament."
"The club has entered the regional tournament for the first time."
"After several closely fought rounds, the teams were separated by a single point in the tournament."
The regular plural is used when referring to multiple competitions or events.
"The club hosted three tournaments during the summer."
What began with mounted knights circling to strike one another now often ends with a winner in a bracket.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of tournament
The word entered Middle English through Anglo-French tournament, a term for a jousting contest, from a form of Old French torneier, meaning “to joust” or “tilt.” Its ultimate root is Latin tornare, meaning “to turn,” reflected in the circling movement of medieval competitors. English gained the related form tourney from the same Old French root, while tourniquet is a later French derivative associated with turning or twisting.
Related word forms
How tournament is actually used
Generally neutral and widely used in British and American English. It often denotes a larger event or series rather than one isolated contest, although it can also refer to a single organized competition. It is especially common in sport, chess, golf, and other competitive games.