Tournament

Definition

Tournament typically refers to a series of contests or matches between participants in a single sport or game.

Parts of Speech

• Noun

Pronunciation

American English

• IPA Pronunciation: /ˈtʊrnəmənt/ or /ˈtɔrnəmənt/
• Respelling: TUR-nuh-muhnt or TOR-nuh-muhnt (with "TUR" as in "turn," "TOR" as in "torn," "nuh" as a schwa sound like the 'u' in "fun," and "muhnt" as in "moment")

British English

• IPA Pronunciation: /ˈtɔːnəmənt/
• Respelling: TAW-nuh-muhnt (with "TAW" as in "torn," "nuh" as a schwa sound like the 'u' in "fun," and "muhnt" like in "moment")

In American English, "tournament" can be pronounced with either "TUR" as in "turn" or "TOR" as in "torn," while in British English, it typically uses the "TAW" sound. The rest of the word, "nuh-muhnt," is pronounced similarly in both dialects, with a schwa sound in the middle syllable.

Etymology

The term "tournament" is derived from the Old French word "torniement", which means a "contest between groups of knights on horseback". This in turn was derived from the verb "tornoier", which means "to joust" or "to tilt". It was introduced into English in the 14th century, initially referring to mounted combats and later evolving to include any type of competitive event.

Derivatives

• Tournamented
• Tournamental
• Tournament-style
• Tournament-like
• Tournamenter

Synonyms

• Competition
• Championship
• Contest

Antonyms

• Cooperation
• Collaboration
• Alliance

Usage

• "Tournament" primarily refers to competitive events, especially in sports or games.
• The term can be used to describe both small, local events and larger, international championships.
• In historical contexts, it might specifically refer to medieval jousting contests.

Related Terms

• Bracket
• Round-robin
• Knockout
• Playoffs
• Finals

Detailed Definition

Noun

• Sporting Contest: A sporting competition in which contestants play a series of games to determine the overall winner.
• Example: The tennis tournament will last for a week.

• Historical Jousting Event: A medieval sporting event in which two knights or groups of knights jousted on horseback, with the aim of knocking the opponent off, capturing him, or inflicting damage with a lance.
• Example: Knights from all over the kingdom would gather for the grand tournament.