champion

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cham·pi·on

(chăm′pē-ən)

1. One that wins first place or first prize in a competition.

2. One that is clearly superior or has the attributes of a winner: a champion at teaching.

3. An ardent defender or supporter of a cause or another person: a champion of the homeless.

4. One who fights; a warrior.

tr.v. cham·pi·oned, cham·pi·on·ing, cham·pi·ons

1. To fight for, defend, or support as a champion: championed the cause of civil rights. See Synonyms at support.

2. Obsolete To defy or challenge.

adj.

1. Holding first place or prize: a champion show dog.

2. Superior to all others: "the champion playboy of the Western World" (John Millington Synge).

[Middle English champioun, combatant, athlete, from Old French champion, from Medieval Latin campiō, campiōn-, from Germanic *kampjō, fighter, warrior, from *kampjan, to do battle, fight, from *kampaz, field of battle, battle, from Latin campus, field; see campus.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

champion

(ˈtʃæmpɪən)

a. a person who has defeated all others in a competition: a chess champion.

b. (as modifier): a champion team.

a. a plant or animal that wins first place in a show, etc

b. (as modifier): a champion marrow.

3. a person who defends a person or cause: champion of the underprivileged.

4. (Historical Terms) (formerly) a warrior or knight who did battle for another, esp a king or queen, to defend their rights or honour

adj

dialect Northern English first rate; excellent

adv

dialect Northern English very well; excellently

vb (tr)

to support; defend: we champion the cause of liberty.

[C13: from Old French, from Late Latin campiō, from Latin campus field, battlefield]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

cham•pi•on

(ˈtʃæm pi ən)

n.

1. a person who has defeated all competing opponents so as to hold first place.

2. anything that takes first place in competition.

3. an animal that has won a certain number of points in officially recognized shows.

4. a person who fights for or defends any person or cause: a champion of the oppressed.

5. a fighter or warrior.

v.t.

6. to act as champion of; defend; support.

7. Obs. to defy.

adj.

8. first among all contestants or competitors.

[1175–1225; < Old French < Late Latin campiōnem, campiō < West Germanic *kampjo, *kamp battlefield < Latin campus field]

champion

Past participle: championed
Gerund: championing

Imperative
champion
champion

Present
I champion
you champion
he/she/it champions
we champion
you champion
they champion

Preterite
I championed
you championed
he/she/it championed
we championed
you championed
they championed

Present Continuous
I am championing
you are championing
he/she/it is championing
we are championing
you are championing
they are championing

Present Perfect
I have championed
you have championed
he/she/it has championed
we have championed
you have championed
they have championed

Past Continuous
I was championing
you were championing
he/she/it was championing
we were championing
you were championing
they were championing

Past Perfect
I had championed
you had championed
he/she/it had championed
we had championed
you had championed
they had championed

Future
I will champion
you will champion
he/she/it will champion
we will champion
you will champion
they will champion

Future Perfect
I will have championed
you will have championed
he/she/it will have championed
we will have championed
you will have championed
they will have championed

Future Continuous
I will be championing
you will be championing
he/she/it will be championing
we will be championing
you will be championing
they will be championing

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been championing
you have been championing
he/she/it has been championing
we have been championing
you have been championing
they have been championing

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been championing
you will have been championing
he/she/it will have been championing
we will have been championing
you will have been championing
they will have been championing

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been championing
you had been championing
he/she/it had been championing
we had been championing
you had been championing
they had been championing

Conditional
I would champion
you would champion
he/she/it would champion
we would champion
you would champion
they would champion

Past Conditional
I would have championed
you would have championed
he/she/it would have championed
we would have championed
you would have championed
they would have championed

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	champion - someone who has won first place in a competition champ, title-holder record-breaker, record-holder - someone who breaks a record challenger, competitor, contender, rival, competition - the contestant you hope to defeat; "he had respect for his rivals"; "he wanted to know what the competition was doing"
	2.	champion - someone who fights for a cause paladin, fighter, hero defender, guardian, protector, shielder - a person who cares for persons or property
	3.	champion - a person who backs a politician or a team etc.; "all their supporters came out for the game"; "they are friends of the library" admirer, booster, protagonist, supporter, friend advocate, advocator, exponent, proponent - a person who pleads for a cause or propounds an idea anglophil, anglophile - an admirer of England and things English believer, truster - a supporter who accepts something as true Boswell - a devoted admirer and recorder of another's words and deeds cheerleader - an enthusiastic and vocal supporter; "he has become a cheerleader for therapeutic cloning" Confederate - a supporter of the Confederate States of America corporatist - a supporter of corporatism enthusiast, partizan, partisan - an ardent and enthusiastic supporter of some person or activity Francophil, Francophile - an admirer of France and everything French free trader - an advocate of unrestricted international trade functionalist - an adherent of functionalism Jacobite - a supporter of James II after he was overthrown or a supporter of the Stuarts loyalist, stalwart - a person who is loyal to their allegiance (especially in times of revolt) New Dealer - a supporter of the economic policies in the United States known as the New Deal Graecophile, philhellene, philhellenist - an admirer of Greece and everything Greek mainstay, pillar - a prominent supporter; "he is a pillar of the community" Roundhead - a supporter of parliament and Oliver Cromwell during the English Civil War seconder - someone who endorses a motion or petition as a necessary preliminary to a discussion or vote Shavian - an admirer of G. B. Shaw or his works endorser, indorser, ratifier, subscriber - someone who expresses strong approval well-wisher, sympathiser, sympathizer - someone who shares your feelings or opinions and hopes that you will be successful toaster, wassailer - someone who proposes a toast; someone who drinks to the health of success of someone or some venture maintainer, sustainer, upholder - someone who upholds or maintains; "firm upholders of tradition"; "they are sustainers of the idea of democracy" verifier, voucher - someone who vouches for another or for the correctness of a statement Whig - a supporter of the American Revolution
	4.	champion - someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field hotshot, maven, mavin, superstar, virtuoso, whiz, whizz, wiz, wizard, adept, sensation, star, genius, ace expert - a person with special knowledge or ability who performs skillfully track star - a star runner
Verb	1.	champion - protect or fight for as a champion defend back, endorse, indorse, plump for, plunk for, support - be behind; approve of; "He plumped for the Labor Party"; "I backed Kennedy in 1960"
Adj.	1.	champion - holding first place in a contest; "a champion show dog"; "a prizewinning wine" prizewinning best - (superlative of `good') having the most positive qualities; "the best film of the year"; "the best solution"; "the best time for planting"; "wore his best suit"

champion

noun

1. winner, hero, victor, conqueror, title holder, warrior, nonpareil Kasparov became a world chess champion.

2. defender, guardian, patron, backer, protector, upholder, vindicator He received acclaim as a champion of the oppressed.

verb

1. support, back, defend, promote, advocate, fight for, uphold, espouse, stick up for (informal) He passionately championed the poor.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

champion

adjective

Exceptionally good of its kind:

ace, banner, blue-ribbon, brag, capital, excellent, fine, first-class, first-rate, prime, quality, splendid, superb, superior, terrific, tiptop, top.

Informal: A-one, bully, dandy, great, swell, topflight, topnotch.

Slang: boss.

Chiefly British: tophole.

verb

To aid the cause of by approving or favoring:

advocate, back, endorse, get behind, plump for, recommend, side with, stand behind, stand by, support, uphold.

Idioms: align oneself with, go to bat for, take the part of.

Translations

بَطَلحامٍ، مُدافِع عَنيُدافِعُ عَن

mistrpřeborníkšampiónbojovatbojovník

mesterchampionforkæmperforsvarekæmpe for

Sieger Siegerin Sieges...verfechten Verfechter

πρωταθλητής

campeón defensor defender

mestari

champion championne

אלוף

šampion

bajnoksíkra száll

málssvari, baráttumaîurmeistariverja, berjast fyrir/

campione campionessa fuoriclasse paladino vincitore

優勝者チャンピオン

챔피언

čempionasčempionatasgintigynimaspirmenybės

aizstāvētaizstāvisčempiona-čempionsuzvarētāj-

kampioen meesterlijk voorvechtereerste klasse

gå i bresjen for kjempe for mester vinner

mistrz

campeão

чемпион

preborník

prvakzavzemati se za

mästare

ผู้ชนะเลิศ

şampiyon savunmak savunucumüdafaa etmek

nhà vô địch

冠军拥护拥护者

champion

[ˈtʃæmpɪən]

A. N → campeón/ona m/f; [of cause] → defensor(a) m/f, paladín m
boxing champion → campeón m de boxeo
world champion → campeón m mundial

B. ADJ

1. (= award-winning) → campeón
a champion athlete → un campeón de atletismo

2. → magnífico, estupendo
champion! → ¡magnífico!, ¡estupendo!

C. VT → defender, abogar por

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

champion

[ˈtʃæmpiən]

(in sport) → champion(ne) m/f

[cause] → champion(ne) m/f

vt → défendre

champion

(Sport) → Meister(in) m(f), → Champion m; champions (= team) → Meister m; world champion → Weltmeister(in) m(f); boxing champion → Boxchampion m; heavyweight champion of the world → Weltmeister m → im Schwergewicht

(of a cause) → Verfechter m

adj

(= prizewinning) → siegreich; dog, bull, show animal → preisgekrönt; champion boxer → erfolgreicher Boxer; champion horse (Racing) → Turfsieger m; (Show-jumping) → siegreiches Turnierpferd

(N Engl, inf) → klasse inv (inf), → prima inv (inf)

vt person, action, cause → eintreten für, sich engagieren für

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

champion

[ˈtʃæmpjən]

1. n (Sport) → campione/essa; (of cause) → difensore m
boxing champion → campione di boxe

2. vt → difendere, lottare per

champion

(ˈtʃӕmpiən) noun

1. in games, competitions etc, a competitor who has defeated all others. this year's golf champion; (also adjective) a champion boxer.

2. a person who defends a cause. a champion of human rights.

verb

to defend or support. He championed the cause of human rights for many years.

ˈchampionship

1. a contest held to decide who is the champion. The tennis championship will be decided this afternoon.

2. the act of defending or supporting. his championship of civil rights.

champion

→ بَطَل mistr mester Sieger πρωταθλητής campeón mestari champion šampion campione 優勝者 챔피언 kampioen mester mistrz campeão чемпион mästare ผู้ชนะเลิศ şampiyon nhà vô địch 冠军

References in classic literature ?

At length the barriers were opened, and five knights, chosen by lot, advanced slowly into the area; a single champion riding in front, and the other four following in pairs.

View in context

The last of a summer sunset clung about Cumnor and the low wooded hills; the romantic Yankee was both doubtful of his road and inquisitive about his surroundings; and seeing the door of a genuine feudal old-country inn, The Champion Arms, standing open, he went in to make inquiries.

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"O Lord of Hosts," cried a voice among the crowd, "provide a Champion for thy people!"

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Our greatest Champion, Overman-Anu, once climbed the spiral stairway and fought nine days with the Gargoyles before he could escape them and come back; but he could never be induced to describe the dreadful creatures, and soon afterward a bear caught him and ate him up."

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"He's an awful brute, isn't he?" continued the young enquirer, a candid Thorley, who was evidently preparing to enter the lists as the lady's champion.

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The princes of the Achaeans are here present in the midst of you; let him, then, that will fight me stand forward as your champion against Hector.

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"I'll give you the worst thrashing you ever had in your life," Dobbin said, in reply to the first part of Cuff's sentence; and little Osborne, gasping and in tears, looked up with wonder and incredulity at seeing this amazing champion put up suddenly to defend him: while Cuff's astonishment was scarcely less.

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The little champion of Rum Alley stumbled precipitately down the other side.

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In my social experiences since Mrs Betty Higden came upon the scene and left it, I have found Circumlocutional champions disposed to be warm with me on the subject of my view of the Poor Law.

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Not till the day before the courses were the shields finally hung out for the inspection of the ladies and the heralds, so that all men might know the names of the champions and have the opportunity to prefer any charge against them, should there be stain upon them which should disqualify them from taking part in so noble and honorable a ceremony.

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WREATHED in myrtle, my sword I'll conceal Like those champions devoted and brave, When they plunged in the tyrant their steel, And to Athens deliverance gave.

View in context

"Comrades of the thunder and companions of death, I cannot but regard it as singularly fortunate that we who by conviction and sympathy are designated by nature as the champions of that fairest of her products, the white metal, should also, by a happy chance, be engaged mostly in the business of mining it.