championship
championship — noun
1. a series of contests held to find which individual or group is the strongest at
a series of contests held to find which individual or group is the strongest at a particular sport, with the champion earning a prize or honour
Leila won her first tennis championship at age fifteen.
countable: a championship
The annual sailing championship attracts competitors from over thirty countries.
Ravi trained every day for three years before entering the national chess championship.
Aiko travelled to Japan to watch the world championship finals live in the stadium.
- tournament
A tournament is a broader term for a series of elimination games; every championship is a tournament, but not every tournament awards a champion.
- title
Title can refer to the championship itself ('she won the title') or the rank of champion; 'championship' is slightly more formal.
- competition
A competition is any event where people try to win; a championship is a specific high-level type of competition.
- finals
Finals refer specifically to the last games of a championship, not the whole event.
文法句型
championship + of + [sport]
the + championship + final / game / match
用法筆記
Often used with a sport name as a compound modifier, e.g. 'football championship' or 'golf championship'. The word 'title' is sometimes used synonymously in sports contexts.
常見錯誤
2. the position or rank of being the officially recognised winner of a competition,
the position or rank of being the officially recognised winner of a competition, kept until the next edition of the event
Yusuf held the heavyweight boxing championship for five consecutive years.
collocation: hold / defend the championship
Priya dreamed of winning the championship ever since she first picked up a racket.
Defending a championship is often harder than winning it for the first time.
After the victory, the Watanabe family celebrated their team's championship late into the night.
文法句型
win / hold / lose / defend + the championship
the + championship
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 names the event itself ('the championship was held in Paris'), while sense 2 names the status awarded ('they won the championship'). Verbs such as 'hold', 'keep', 'lose', 'retain', and 'defend' are typical for this sense.
常見錯誤
3. the act of actively supporting, defending, or speaking strongly in favour of a c
the act of actively supporting, defending, or speaking strongly in favour of a cause, a group, or another person's rights
The senator is known for her championship of workers' rights in the textile industry.
pattern: championship + of + [cause]
The charity's championship of equal access to education has changed thousands of lives.
Dr. Okafor's championship of the new health policy convinced many previously undecided politicians.
The journalist's outspoken championship of press freedom won her both praise and criticism.
- advocacy
More common than 'championship' in this sense. 'Advocacy' often suggests professional or organised support, while 'championship' implies personal conviction.
- defence
Focuses on protecting something under attack; 'championship' is broader, covering both defence and promotion.
- support
More general and less forceful. 'Support' can be passive, whereas 'championship' implies active, vocal backing.
- opposition
The opposite of active support for a cause.
- criticism
Expressing negative judgement rather than defending or promoting.
文法句型
championship + of + [cause / right / person]
someone's + championship + of + [something]
用法筆記
This sense is uncountable — 'the championship of human rights' (no article). Frequently used with 'of' + an abstract noun (rights, reform, equality, justice). Formal register; uncommon in everyday conversation.