victory

[ vik-tuh-ree, vik-tree ]

noun

, plural vic·to·ries.

1. a success or triumph over an enemy in battle or war.

   Antonyms: defeat

2. an engagement ending in such triumph:

   American victories in the Pacific were won at great cost.

   Antonyms: defeat

3. the ultimate and decisive superiority in any battle or contest:

   The new vaccine effected a victory over poliomyelitis.

   Antonyms: defeat

4. a success or superior position achieved against any opponent, opposition, difficulty, etc.:

   a moral victory.

5. (initial capital letter) the ancient Roman goddess Victoria, often represented in statues or on coins as the personification of victory.

victory

¹

/ ˈvɪktərɪ /

noun

1. final and complete superiority in a war
2. a successful military engagement
3. a success attained in a contest or struggle or over an opponent, obstacle, or problem
4. the act of triumphing or state of having triumphed

Victory

²

/ ˈvɪktərɪ /

noun

1. another name (in English) for Victoria 3
2. another name (in English) for Nike

Other Words From

• victo·ry·less adjective
• non·victo·ry noun plural nonvictories
• super·victo·ry noun plural supervictories

Word History and Origins

Origin of victory¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English victorie, from Latin victōria, equivalent to victōr-, stem of victor victor + -ia -y ³

Word History and Origins

Origin of victory¹

C14: from Old French victorie, from Latin victōria, from vincere to subdue

Idioms and Phrases

see pyrrhic victory .

Synonym Study

Victory, conquest, triumph refer to a successful outcome of a struggle. Victory suggests the decisive defeat of an opponent in a contest of any kind: victory in battle; a football victory. Conquest implies the taking over of control by the victor, and the obedience of the conquered: a war of conquest; the conquest of Peru. Triumph implies a particularly outstanding victory: the triumph of a righteous cause; the triumph of justice.

Example Sentences

But Trump has very strong incentives to do what he always does: claim victory despite not actually getting anywhere near achieving his goals, as he did after his failed summit with Kim Jong-un in 2018.

From Slate

More than 1,500 people have been arrested in connection with the riot, when a crowd of Donald Trump supporters stormed the building that houses the US Congress in an attempt to stop certification of Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election.

From BBC

Junior point guard Dylan Andrews, who sat out the Bruins’ victory over Boston University on Monday with a groin injury, remained sidelined for the portion of practice reporters were allowed to observe Wednesday.

From Los Angeles Times

Thanks to a run of one win in 16 and the longest-ever sequence of competitive games without a victory, Scotland’s world ranking has plummeted to 51.

From BBC

England last tasted victory in June against Japan, who they face in their final Autumn Nations Series game on 24 November.

From BBC

Related Words

• achievement
• advantage
• defeat
• gain
• grand slam
• hit
• sweep
• triumph
• winning