victory

victory — noun

1. the act of defeating an opponent or finishing first in a competition, game, elec

1.nounB1
Definition

the act of defeating an opponent or finishing first in a competition, game, election, or conflict.

Example

The team celebrated their victory with a parade through the city.

collocation: celebrate victory

After months of hard work, Hao finally achieved victory in the local chess tournament.

collocation: achieve victory

Common collocations
  • narrow victory
  • decisive victory
  • easy victory
  • victory over
  • claim victory
  • secure victory
  • snatch victory
Synonyms
  • win

    more informal; used for individual games or competitions rather than wars or long campaigns

  • triumph

    suggests an especially impressive or glorious victory that was hard-earned

  • success

    broader meaning; can apply to any achievement, not just competitive situations

  • conquest

    often implies military victory or overcoming a major challenge or fear

Antonyms
  • defeat

    the state of losing to an opponent

  • loss

    a game or competition that one does not win

  • failure

    not achieving a desired goal or outcome

Usage Note

Commonly used with prepositions 'over' or 'against' to name the defeated opponent (e.g., victory over the defending champions).

Common Mistakes

The team had a victory in the finals.
The team achieved a victory in the finals.
'victory' usually pairs with verbs like 'achieve', 'claim', 'secure', or 'win', not 'have'.
It was a victory to the home team.
It was a victory for the home team.
use 'for' to indicate who won, not 'to'.

2. a celebratory run around the competition area that the winner makes after a race

2.nounB2
Definition

a celebratory run around the competition area that the winner makes after a race or game.

Example

After breaking the world record, the runner took a victory lap to thank the crowd.

collocation: take a victory lap

The whole baseball team joined hands for a victory lap around the stadium.

collocation: victory lap around

Common collocations
  • take a victory lap
  • victory lap around
  • run a victory lap
Synonyms

Usage Note

Often called a 'lap of honour' in British English. This sense is typically used with the verb 'take'.

Common Mistakes

She made a victory lap.
She took a victory lap.
the standard verb for this action is 'take', not 'make'.
Idioms

roar, romp, sweep, etc. to victory

idiom

To win something with little effort or difficulty.

The young tennis player swept to victory in her first tournament.

Did the home team romp to victory in the final match?

snatch victory from the jaws of defeat

idiom

To win a competition or contest when it seemed certain that you would lose.

Maya's team snatched victory from the jaws of defeat with a last-minute goal.

How did he snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in the chess game?

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five words describe a positive outcome, but they differ in context and intensity. 'Win' is the most informal and is used for individual games or matches ('a 3–1 win'). 'Victory' is more formal and broader—it can describe a military campaign, an election, or a sports tournament. 'Triumph' implies a victory that was especially difficult or glorious ('a triumph over adversity'). 'Success' is the widest term—it can apply to any achievement, from exams to business ('career success'). 'Conquest' specifically suggests defeating a person, place, or fear through struggle ('the conquest of Mount Everest'). Use 'victory' when the opponent or challenge is clearly defined; use 'success' when the goal is broader.

victory ↗win ↗triumph ↗success ↗conquest

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

From Latin 'victoria', meaning 'the state of conquering', derived from 'vincere' ('to conquer, overcome'). Entered English through Old French 'victorie' during the 14th century. The first recorded use in English dates from around 1330.