# win

Pronunciation: US say "WIN" /wɪn/; UK

## Verb

1. To be the victor in a game, war, election, or other contest, or to bring about such a victory for someone.
   - Simple: To come first or beat the others in a game, fight, or contest, or to make someone the winner.
   - _The general's bold strategy helped them win the war._
   - _They won every game of the regular season._
2. To gain a prize or reward in a competition, contest, or game of chance.
   - Simple: To get a prize in a contest, game, or lottery.
   - _He won the grand prize in the photography contest._
   - _Contestants hope to win a generous cash reward._
4. To gain something you want, including someone's support, friendship or loyalty, through effort, persuasion or charm.
   - Simple: To get something you want, or gain someone's friendship or support, through effort or persuasion.
   - _The campaign won broad support across the region._
   - _He worked tirelessly to win recognition for his research._
5. To defeat or get the better of an opponent. *(nonstandard)*
   - Simple: To beat another person or side.
   - _She easily won the reigning champion in straight sets._
   - _No one expected the rookie to win the seasoned veteran._
6. To prevail or take priority when wishes, rules, or options conflict. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: To be the one that counts or comes first when rules, wishes, or choices disagree.
   - _When configuration files conflict, the user's settings win._
   - _Whenever the team's plans clashed with the client's wishes, the client's wishes won._
7. To reach a destination or objective despite difficulty or hard toil. *(literary)*
   - Simple: To reach a place or goal after hard effort.

## Noun

3. A victory in a game or contest, or any success that feels like one.
   - Simple: A victory, or a good result that feels like one.
   - _Saturday's win put them at the top of the league._
   - _The team celebrated their first win of the season._

## Noun

8. Profit, gain, or earned income. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: Money or profit that someone gains or earns.
9. Wealth, or the goods a person owns. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: All the money and goods that someone owns.

## Other meanings

- (verb) To extract ore, coal, or similar materials from the earth.
- (noun) A state of pleasure, joy, or delight.
- (verb) To dry something by exposing it to the wind.

## Origin

**Meanings 1–2, 4–7** — From Middle English winnen, from Old English winnan ("to labour, toil"), from Proto-Germanic *winnaną ("to labour, win, gain, fight"), from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to strive, wish, desire." It is related to Dutch winnen and German gewinnen.
**Meanings 3, 8–9** — From Middle English winn, from Old English winn ("toil, labor, hardship; profit, gain; conflict, war"), from Proto-Germanic *winną ("labour, struggle, fight"), from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to strive, desire." It is related to German Gewinn and Dutch gewin ("profit, gain").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/win (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).