championship
gb/t͡ʃˈæmpiənʃˌɪp/ us/t͡ʃˈæmpiənʃˌɪp/
B1
English
~ 2100
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
event
1
Major contest for top title
A big game or series of games to find the best player or team.
Usage pattern:
win [a/the] championship
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'championship' (the event) with 'champion' (the person or team who wins).
Synonyms
tournament (A broader term for a series of contests, not always for the final title.)
|
finals (Specifically refers to the last round, not the whole event.)
Antonyms
friendly match (A game played for practice or fun, not for a title.)
Collocations
win a championship
|national championship
|world championship
|defend the championship
|championship title
Themes
sports
|competition
|events
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- The team won the national championship after a tense final game.
- He has played in three world championships.
- They are training hard for the upcoming championship.
- Our school will host the regional championship next month.
Learner examples
- We won the championship last year.
- She is playing in the championship today.
- The championship is in June.
- They want to win the championship again.
Noun
B2
state
2
State of being champion
The position of being the winner in a competition.
Usage pattern:
hold [the] championship
Common mistake:
Learners may use 'championship' instead of 'champion' when talking about a person, e.g., 'She is the championship' instead of 'She is the champion'.
Synonyms
title (Often used interchangeably, but can refer to any honor, not just sports.)
Antonyms
defeat (Indicates losing and not holding the champion status.)
Collocations
hold the championship
|retain the championship
|lose the championship
Themes
sports
|competition
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She held the championship for three consecutive years.
- After losing last night, they surrendered the championship.
- Winning this match will secure their championship.
Learner examples
- He holds the championship now.
- They lost the championship last year.
- She wants to keep the championship.
Noun
C1
action
3
Strong advocacy or defense
When someone works hard to help or defend an idea or person.
Usage pattern:
[someone's] championship of [something/someone]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this sense with sports, assuming it always means a competition.
Synonyms
advocacy (Focuses on actively speaking or acting for a cause.)
|
promotion (Implies encouraging growth or acceptance, not necessarily defending.)
Antonyms
opposition (Actively working against a cause or person.)
Collocations
championship of human rights
|championship of free speech
Themes
activism
|politics
|communication
Examples
- His championship of environmental causes inspired many young activists.
- She is known for her championship of equal rights in the workplace.
- The senator's championship of education reform gained widespread support.
Learner examples
- He shows strong championship of animal rights.
- Her championship of peace is famous.
- They thanked him for his championship of free speech.
Grammar
Dictionary form
championship
IPA
GB/t͡ʃˈæmpiənʃˌɪp/
US/t͡ʃˈæmpiənʃˌɪp/
Syllables & stress
cham - pi - on - ship (4 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (cham)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: championship
- Plural: championship, championships
Word family
Forms
championships
noun
Core family
champion
noun A2
Expressions
defend the championship
1/dɪfˈɛnd ðə t͡ʃˈæmpiənʃˌɪp/
fixed phrase
Compete to keep champion title
To try to keep your winning position by playing again against challengers.
Examples
- The boxer will defend the championship next month.
- They are ready to defend the championship they won last year.
lose the championship
1/lˈuz ðə t͡ʃˈæmpiənʃˌɪp/
fixed phrase
Fail to win or keep title
To not win or to stop being the champion in a competition.
Examples
- They lost the championship after a close game.
- He was upset to lose the championship in his final season.
win the championship
1/wˈɪn ðə t͡ʃˈæmpiənʃˌɪp/
fixed phrase
Achieve victory in top contest
To be the best team or player in a big competition.
Examples
- They hope to win the championship this season.
- If we win the championship, it will be our first in 20 years.