contender

contender — noun

1. a person or group that enters a competition and has a good chance of being the w

1.nounB2
Definition

a person or group that enters a competition and has a good chance of being the winner

Example

Ravi was the youngest contender in the boxing championship this year.

contender + in + [competition name]

Several contenders have signed up for the cooking contest at the school fair.

Common collocations
  • strong contender
  • serious contender
  • leading contender
  • top contender
  • main contender
  • contender for the title
  • contender for the prize
  • contender in the race
Synonyms
  • competitor

    broader term — anyone taking part in a contest, whether they can win or not

  • contestant

    more common in TV shows and games; does not necessarily imply a chance of winning

  • challenger

    specifically someone competing against a current champion or title-holder

Antonyms
  • spectator

    someone who watches a competition rather than taking part

Grammar Patterns

contender + for + something (prize, title, position)

contender + in + competition (race, contest, championship)

Usage Note

Often used with an adjective before it (serious contender, strong contender, leading contender) to show how likely someone is to win. Followed by 'for' + the prize or position, or 'in' + the competition name.

Common Mistakes

He is a contender of the gold medal.
He is a contender for the gold medal.
Use 'for' (not 'of') after 'contender' to show what prize or position someone is trying to win.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Contender emphasises that someone has a realistic chance of winning, whereas competitor simply describes anyone who takes part. A contestant typically appears on a game show or in a talent competition and may or may not be expected to win. Challenger is narrower — it refers to someone who opposes an existing champion or title-holder (the defending champion faced a tough challenger). Candidate is used for formal positions (a candidate for mayor) rather than sporting contests. Use contender when you want to highlight that the person or team is in the running to actually claim the prize.

competitor ↗contestant ↗challenger ↗candidate ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Contender entered English in the mid-1500s from French 'contendre', which came from Latin 'contendere' — 'con-' (together) and 'tendere' (to stretch, aim). The original sense was 'to strive or struggle alongside others', which gradually narrowed to competing for a prize or position.