tournament
UK: ˈtʊənəmənt | US: ˈtɜːrnəmənt
n. a competition involving a series of matches between contestants, often in sports or games
n. (historical) a medieval contest of skill and bravery, such as jousting
n. (figurative) any intense or structured competition
tournament = tourn<turn> + ament<noun suffix>
- tourn<turn>: From Old French torner ("to turn"), derived from Latin tornare ("to turn on a lathe"), ultimately from Greek tornos ("lathe, tool for drawing circles"). Reflects the circular or cyclical nature of competitive events.
- ament<noun suffix>: A nominalizing suffix in Old French (-ement), indicating an action or result, from Latin -mentum.
Etymology Origin:
The word tournament originated in medieval Europe, where it referred to jousting contests characterized by knights "turning" their horses to engage opponents. Over time, it generalized to any structured competition with sequential matches, retaining the core idea of cyclical or staged contests. The Latin root tornare emphasizes motion and repetition, mirroring the format of modern tournaments.
The chess tournament attracted players from over 20 countries.
Medieval tournaments were both sporting events and displays of chivalry.
She trained for months to qualify for the tennis tournament.
The debate tournament finals will be held next weekend.
His victory in the programming tournament earned him a job offer.