Added 9 October 2026
challenger
/ˈt͡ʃælɪn(d)ʒə/ noun
In Latin: prōvocātor Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about challenger at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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The contestant you hope to defeat.
he had respect for his rivals
Origin
Inherited from Middle English chalengere, chalangeour, chalenger (“one who causes injury, or makes false charges or slanderous statements; one who disputes, disputant, objector; claimant”), and then partly from both of the following: * From Middle English chalengen (“to accuse; to accuse falsely or maliciously, slander; to treat unjustly, wrong; to dispute, object; to make a claim or demand; to rebuke, scold; to issue a challenge to; etc.”) + -er, -ere (suffix forming agent nouns).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)