contender
- 01 C1 Advanced
someone who has a good chance of winning a race, a game, or an election.
a competitor with a realistic prospect of success in a contest or for a position of authority.
Simple“After winning three games in a row, the team is now a serious contender for the trophy.”
In context“The senator emerged as a leading contender for the nomination after a series of impressive debate performances and a surge in fundraising.”
UsageOften used with the preposition 'for' to indicate the prize or position being sought.
Teacher's tipWhile any participant is a competitor, a 'contender' is specifically someone perceived as having the strength to actually win.
SynonymsAntonyms
“That drama led to a congested 10-athlete final - but, despite Briton Jemma Reekie's best efforts, there only ever appeared three contenders for gold.”
“Last month Real Madrid released a statement saying they would not be signing Fernandez - which left City as the only real contenders.”
From contend + -er.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.