champion

champion — noun

1. a person, team, or animal that wins a competition by finishing first or performi

1.nounB1
Definition

a person, team, or animal that wins a competition by finishing first or performing better than every other competitor

Example

The young gymnast became the national champion at just fourteen years old.

collocation: national champion / become champion

Our school's basketball team were the champions two years in a row.

Common collocations
  • national champion
  • world champion
  • defending champion
  • reigning champion
  • become champion
  • crown someone champion
Synonyms
  • winner

    general term; champion emphasizes having beaten all rivals in a contest

  • victor

    more formal and literary; often used in military or historical contexts

  • title-holder

    highlights that the person currently holds a championship and may need to defend it

Antonyms
  • loser

    someone who does not win

Common Mistakes

She championed the tennis tournament last year.
She won the tennis tournament and became champion last year.
champion as a verb means 'to support a cause,' not 'to win a competition.'

2. a person who actively speaks in favour of or works to protect a particular cause

2.nounC2
Definition

a person who actively speaks in favour of or works to protect a particular cause, group, or set of beliefs, often against opposition

Example

Dr. Okafor has been a champion of press freedom in his country for decades.

pattern: champion of [abstract cause]

The group became champions of the rights of disabled workers across the region.

Common collocations
  • champion of
  • passionate champion
  • great champion
  • champion of freedom
  • champion of the poor
  • true champion of
Synonyms
  • advocate

    broader; can be paid professional or volunteer; champion implies greater passion and willingness to fight

  • defender

    focuses on protection from attack; champion includes active promotion

  • supporter

    more general and less intense; champion suggests active campaigning rather than passive agreement

Antonyms
  • opponent

    someone who is against the cause

  • critic

    someone who expresses disapproval

Usage Note

The object of support is typically a principle, right, or disadvantaged group (e.g. press freedom, workers' rights, local farmers), not a personal ambition.

Common Mistakes

She is a champion of her own career.
She is a champion of gender equality in the workplace.
champion (supporter sense) is used for causes and groups, not for personal goals.

champion — verb

champion — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words refer to someone who succeeds in a contest, but they differ in emphasis. Champion is the most specific: it means the person who beat every other competitor, often in a structured competition such as a sports tournament. Winner is the broadest term — you can be the winner of a race, a raffle, or an argument. Victor has a more formal or historical tone, frequently used in battles, wars, or political contests rather than everyday games. Title-holder focuses on the current status of possessing a championship that may need to be defended later. For example: 'Serena Williams was the champion after winning the final match'; 'The victor of the battle addressed the soldiers'; 'As the title-holder, he felt pressure to stay in perfect shape.'

winner ↗champion ↗victortitle-holder

Common collocations

Nouns

  • champion boxer
  • champion athlete
  • champion team
  • champion title
  • champion status

Adverbs

  • long championed
  • consistently championed
  • passionately championed
  • publicly championed
  • fiercely championed

Phrases

  • reigning champion
  • defending champion
  • undisputed champion
  • former champion
  • champion of the world

Prepositions

  • champion of
  • champion for

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word champion entered English from Old French champion, meaning 'combatant' or 'warrior.' That French word came from Late Latin campio ('gladiator, fighter in the arena'), which itself derived from Latin campus ('field' or 'battlefield'). In medieval times, a champion was a knight who fought on behalf of another person in a trial by combat. Over time, the meaning shifted from 'one who fights' to 'one who wins' and later 'one who supports a cause.'