Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense champions, present participle championing, past tense, past participle championed
1. countable noun
A champion is someone who has won the first prize in a competition, contest, or fight.
...a former Commonwealth champion.
Kasparov became world champion.
...a champion boxer and skier.
Synonyms: winner, hero, victor, conqueror More Synonyms of champion
2. countable noun
If you are a championof a person, a cause, or a principle, you support or defend them.
He received acclaim as a champion of the oppressed.
He was once known as a champion of social reform. [+ of]
Synonyms: defender, guardian, patron, backer More Synonyms of champion
3. verb
If you champion a person, a cause, or a principle, you support or defend them.
He passionately championed the poor. [VERB noun]
The amendments had been championed by pro-democracy activists. [beVERB-ed + by]
Synonyms: support, back, defend, promote More Synonyms of champion
champion in British English
(ˈtʃæmpɪən)
noun
1.
a.
a person who has defeated all others in a competition
a chess champion
b.
(as modifier)
a champion team
2.
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.
(formerly) a warrior or knight who did battle for another, esp a king or queen, to defend their rights or honour
adjective
5. Northern England dialect
first rate; excellent
adverb
6. Northern England dialect
very well; excellently
verb(transitive)
7.
to support; defend
we champion the cause of liberty
Word origin
C13: from Old French, from Late Latin campiō, from Latin campus field, battlefield
champion in American English
(ˈtʃæmpiən)
noun
1.
a valiant fighter
2.
a person who fights for another or for a cause; defender; protector; supporter
a champion of the oppressed
3.
a winner of first place or first prize in a competition
adjective
4.
winning or capable of winning first place; excelling over all others
verb transitive
5.
to fight for; defend; support
6. Obsolete
to challenge to a fight
Word origin
OFr (? via Gmc *kampjo) < LL campio, gladiator < L campus, field: see campus
COBUILD Collocations
champion
beat the champions
tennis champion
true champion
worthy champion
Examples of 'champion' in a sentence
champion
He chose the services and became a champion boxer.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Twenty years in which the causes she championed still benefit from the stardust she sprinkled.
The Sun (2017)
Just who is this driver poised to become world champion in his 11th season of trying?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
That is how you become champions, little things.
The Sun (2016)
But today its dignity was restored when the sport of sumo honoured its first homegrown champion for 19 years.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
They are playing like champions.
The Sun (2016)
Congrats on being Olympic rowing champion!
The Sun (2016)
I mention that the pressure is on England as defending champions.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
This week's game is a clash from Moscow between two former world champions.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Ennis is the world heptathlon champion and already a household name.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
You can imagine the thoughts that ran through our heads as the defending champion disappeared from view.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
He was stripped of his official posts as he increasingly championed democratic reform.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The other obvious innovation is to invite the defending champions along as well.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
They rallied to the cause of their champion.
Lucy Moore Liberty: The Lives and Times of Six Women in Revolutionary France (2006)
The ageing fighter comes out of retirement to take on the reigning heavyweight champion.
The Sun (2015)
Two are playing to be champions.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Leave that to the likes of champions such as Nina.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The undisputed champion of the world brutally demolished the raw challenger's resistance within two rounds.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
As a 15-year-old he was a champion swimmer.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
You want to be a world champion and fight in Vegas.
The Sun (2015)
Direct producers would have an undistinguished career, although they had their champions for many years.
Christy Campbell PHYLLOXERA: How Wine was Saved for the World (2004)
Spain may not have reached the heights they did in becoming world and European champions.
The Sun (2012)
As he flew into sharp corners, it seemed the defending champion had taken leave of his senses.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This week he proclaimed modestly that he was going to become heavyweight champion and then the world's leading promoter.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The world champion insists he would walk away from his 8million deal over the issue that has split the sport.
The Sun (2010)
They have been rewarded by a former champion determined to prove himself and if they needed any evidence, it is in the neck.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
In a pleasing aside, she was also a champion synchronised swimmer in her youth).
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
She followed this with another six maximum scores, to become the youngest female Olympic champion of all time.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The new tenants' champion is already spoiling for a fight with landlords, ministers and millions of potential clients.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Now I have a realistic chance of being an Olympic champion.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Word lists with
champion
Legendary/fictional/historical horses
In other languages
champion
British English: champion /ˈtʃæmpɪən/ NOUN
A champion is someone who has won the first prize in a competition.
...a former Olympic champion.
American English: champion
Arabic: بَطَل competition
Brazilian Portuguese: campeão
Chinese: 冠军
Croatian: šampion
Czech: mistr
Danish: mester
Dutch: kampioen
European Spanish: campeón
Finnish: mestari
French: champion
German: Sieger
Greek: πρωταθλητής
Italian: campione
Japanese: 優勝者
Korean: 챔피언
Norwegian: mester
Polish: mistrz
European Portuguese: campeão
Romanian: campion
Russian: чемпион
Latin American Spanish: campeón
Swedish: mästare
Thai: ผู้ชนะเลิศ
Turkish: şampiyon
Ukrainian: чемпіон
Vietnamese: nhà vô địch
British English: champion VERB
If you champion a person, a cause, or a principle, you support or defend them.
He passionately championed the poor.
American English: champion
Brazilian Portuguese: defender
Chinese: 捍卫
European Spanish: defender
French: défendre
German: eintreten für
Italian: difendere
Japanese: 擁護する
Korean: 옹호하다
European Portuguese: defender
Latin American Spanish: defender
All related terms of 'champion'
true champion
A champion is someone who has won the first prize in a competition , contest , or fight.
hurdle champion
a hurdler who has defeated all others in a competition
tennis champion
A champion is someone who has won the first prize in a competition , contest , or fight.
world champion
someone who has won a competition open to people throughout the whole world
worthy champion
A champion is someone who has won the first prize in a competition , contest , or fight .
hurdles champion
a hurdler who has defeated all others in a competition
undisputed world champion
a boxer who holds the World Boxing Association , the World Boxing Council , the World Boxing Organization , and the International Boxing Federation world championship titles simultaneously
Chinese translation of 'champion'
champion
(ˈtʃæmpɪən)
n(c)
[of league, contest]冠军(軍) (guànjūn) (位, wèi)
[of cause, person, underdog]拥(擁)护(護)者 (yōnghùzhě)
vt
[cause, principle, person]
(= support) 支持 (zhīchí)
(= defend) 捍卫(衛) (hànwèi)
1 (noun)
Definition
a person, plant, or animal that has defeated all others in a competition
Kasparov became a world chess champion.
Synonyms
winner
She will present the trophies to the winners.
hero
the goalscoring hero of the Indian hockey team
victor
to the victor the spoils
conqueror
Alexander the Great, conqueror of the known world
title holder
warrior
the 13th century warrior, Genghis Khan
nonpareil
2 (noun)
Definition
someone who defends a person or cause
He received acclaim as a champion of the oppressed.
Synonyms
defender
a strong defender of human rights
guardian
He regards himself as a guardian of traditional values.
patron
Catherine the Great was a patron of the arts and sciences.
backer
I was looking for a backer to assist me in the attempted buy-out.
protector
She was seen by many as a protector of liberty.
upholder
vindicator
(verb)
Definition
to support
He passionately championed the poor.
Synonyms
support
He supported the hardworking people.
back
He is backed by the civic movement.
defend
The members of the committee strongly defended their decision.
promote
His country will do everything possible to promote peace.
advocate
They advocate fewer government controls on business.
fight for
uphold
upholding the artist's right to creative freedom
espouse
She ran away to Mexico and espoused the revolutionary cause.
stick up for (informal)
endorse
I can endorse this statement wholeheartedly.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of advocate
Definition
to recommend a course of action publicly
They advocate fewer government controls on business.
Synonyms
recommend,
support,
champion,
encourage,
propose,
favour,
defend,
promote,
urge,
advise,
justify,
endorse,
campaign for,
prescribe,
speak for,
uphold,
press for,
argue for,
commend,
plead for,
espouse,
countenance,
hold a brief for (informal)
in the sense of back
He is backed by the civic movement.
Synonyms
support,
help,
second,
aid,
champion,
encourage,
favour,
defend,
promote,
sanction,
sustain,
assist,
advocate,
endorse,
side with,
stand up for,
espouse,
stand behind,
countenance,
abet,
stick up for (informal),
take up the cudgels for
in the sense of backer
Definition
a person who gives financial or other support
I was looking for a backer to assist me in the attempted buy-out.