contender
kuhn-TEN-dur/kənˈtɛn.dɚ/kuhn-TEN-duh/kənˈtɛn.də/
Pluralcontenders
- 1A person who has a real chance of winning a contest.
Like one of the few runners near the front who could actually win the race.
After winning the early votes, she became a serious contender for mayor.
The two strongest contenders met in the final round.
Similarfavorite, frontrunner, challenger, candidate
Oppositeunderdog, outsider, also-ran
Note
- 2A person who takes part in a contest against others.
Like each player in a game, all trying to win.
Every contender introduced themselves before the debate started.
The remaining contenders drew lots for the next round.
Similarcompetitor, contestant, rival, entrant, challenger
Use it in a sentence
Write your own sentence with contender, and AI will tell you whether it fits and which meaning you used.
Origin
From the verb "contend" plus "-er", meaning someone who contends.