contender

[ kuhn-ten-der ]

noun

1. a person or group that competes against others to win something; contestant:

   The three remaining contenders for the Democratic Party nomination met for a televised debate.

2. a person or group with a good chance of success in a contest:

   After last season’s disaster, the Texas team needed to convince me they were a contender.

Word History and Origins

Origin of contender¹

contend ( def ) + -er ¹( def )

Example Sentences

Emery has been rightly commended for turning Villa from relegation battlers into Champions League contenders since he was appointed in October 2022.

From BBC

The SNP and Labour are expected to be the main contenders to win the seat, with both parties hoping to build momentum ahead of next year's Scottish Parliament election.

From BBC

Mr Fishburn said there were "definitely" some future contenders at the academy.

From BBC

The arrest came hours after Shapiro, often touted as a future White House contender, woke up in the middle of the night to authorities banging on the door of his home as a fire spread.

From BBC

"I think there are going to be other contenders. And I think as long as we have the best car, it's going to be tight between Lando and I."

From BBC

Related Words

• adversary
• challenger
• competition
• contestant
• opponent
• rival