Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

tournament

American  
[toor-nuh-muhnt, tur-] / ˈtʊər nə mənt, ˈtɜr- /

noun

  1. a trial of skill in some game, in which competitors play a series of contests.

    a chess tournament.

  2. a meeting for contests in a variety of sports, as between teams of different nations.

  3. History/Historical.

    1. a contest or martial sport in which two opposing parties of mounted and armored combatants fought for a prize, with blunted weapons and in accordance with certain rules.

    2. a meeting at an appointed time and place for the performance of knightly exercises and sports.

tournament British  
/ ˈtɜː-, ˈtʊənəmənt, ˈtɔː- /

noun

  1. a sporting competition in which contestants play a series of games to determine an overall winner

  2. a meeting for athletic or other sporting contestants

    an archery tournament

  3. medieval history

    1. (originally) a martial sport or contest in which mounted combatants fought for a prize

    2. (later) a meeting for knightly sports and exercises

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • pretournament noun

Etymology

Origin of tournament

1175–1225; Middle English tornement < Old French torneiement, equivalent to torne ( ier ) to tourney + -ment -ment

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It was a delicious twist: a big, fancy flag football tournament in Los Angeles, NFL stars everywhere, plus some retired goats like Tom Brady.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

Texas has succeeded this tournament with a lockdown defensive effort, but its shooting has gotten better throughout, led by Rori Harmon and Booker.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

UConn coach Geno Auriemma said on Thursday that he thought the NCAA’s switch to the two-regional format was more of an inequality issue than anything provided during the 2020 tournament.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

"It's still really special and we're really enjoying this tournament at the moment. It's a great chance to play different teams and make some cool memories."

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

It seemed that his strength grew not just from tournament to tournament and match to match, but from day to day.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.