championship
B1Neutral to Formal (in competitive contexts), Formal (in advocacy contexts)
Definition
Meaning
A competition or series of contests held to determine a winner in a sport or game; the title of being the winner of such a competition.
The act of defending or supporting a person, cause, or principle; vigorous support or advocacy.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a count noun when referring to a competition/title ('win three championships'). Can be an uncount noun in the advocacy sense ('her championship of human rights').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning. In sports reporting, BrE may be slightly more likely to use 'championship' as a modifier (e.g., 'championship point') whereas AmE might use 'title' (e.g., 'title game').
Connotations
Identical connotations of prestige, competition, and victory.
Frequency
Equally high frequency in both dialects due to global sports culture.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[verb] + championship (win/lose/defend)championship + [preposition] + [noun] (championship of Europe)[adjective] + championship (prestigious championship)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[not common; the word itself is often part of sports idioms like 'a championship caliber team']”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used metaphorically: 'They are fighting for the championship in the smartphone market.'
Academic
Used in historical/political contexts: 'His championship of democratic reforms was well-documented.'
Everyday
Almost exclusively in sports/competition contexts: 'Did you watch the championship last night?'
Technical
Specific to sports science and event management: 'The championship schedule imposes a high physiological load on athletes.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- N/A - 'champion' is the verb form.
American English
- N/A - 'champion' is the verb form.
adverb
British English
- N/A - No standard adverbial form.
American English
- N/A - No standard adverbial form.
adjective
British English
- The team displayed championship form throughout the season.
- It was a championship-winning performance.
American English
- He made a championship-level play to save the game.
- They have a championship-caliber defense.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My favourite team won the championship.
- We watched the football championship on TV.
- She has been training hard for the national swimming championship.
- The championship final will be played next Saturday.
- After a gruelling season, they finally clinched the league championship in the last game.
- His championship of environmental causes has earned him widespread respect.
- The reigning champions faced immense pressure to defend their championship title against a formidable new challenger.
- Her unwavering championship of free speech principles, even for unpopular views, defined her political career.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a CHAMPION holding a SHIP (trophy). The championship is the event where you become the champion and win the ship.
Conceptual Metaphor
COMPETITION IS WAR (battle for the championship), SUPREMACY IS HEIGHT (being at the top of the championship), ADVOCACY IS FIGHTING (championing a cause).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'чемпионат' which is a direct cognate and correct for the competition sense. The advocacy sense ('championship of rights') is less common and could be mistranslated as 'защита' or 'отстаивание'.
- Avoid using 'championship' to mean just any 'competition' or 'cup'—it implies the ultimate, title-deciding event.
Common Mistakes
- Using it as a synonym for 'champion' (INCORRECT: 'He is the championship.' CORRECT: 'He is the champion.').
- Using plural for a single event (INCORRECT: 'the championships will be held in London' if it's one tournament; this is sometimes used officially but can be confusing).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'championship' used in its extended, non-sporting sense?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
A tournament is the structure of the competition (a series of games/matches). A championship is the title awarded for winning that competition, or the specific competition that awards the top title in a league/sport.
No. The verb form is 'to champion', meaning to support or defend. 'Championship' is exclusively a noun.
Yes, in two cases: 1) Referring to multiple different title events (e.g., 'He won three championships in his career'). 2) As the proper name for some major multi-event competitions (e.g., 'the World Athletics Championships').
Use it to imply a fierce competition for market leadership. Example: 'The two tech giants are in a relentless championship battle for AI supremacy.'
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