contestant

C2+ Topic:People & Society

US /kənˈtɛstənt/ UK /kənˈtɛstənt/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
a person who takes part in a competition

Each contestant had ninety seconds to plead their case.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a person who takes part in... competitor entrant participant contender player challenger rival

Opposites

spectator judge umpire

Word family

Related forms contestcontestationcontestable

Etymology

From French contestant, present participle of contester ('to dispute, contest'), from Latin contestari ('to call to witness'), from con- (intensive) + testari ('to bear witness'), from testis ('witness').

contestari Latin testis Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

People & Society Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# contestant

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /kənˈtɛstənt/
**IPA (UK):** /kənˈtɛstənt/

## Meanings
1. a person who takes part in a competition

## Examples
- Each contestant had ninety seconds to plead their case.

## Synonyms
- competitor
- entrant
- participant
- contender
- player
- challenger
- rival

## Antonyms
- spectator
- judge
- umpire

## Related Forms
- contest
- contestation
- contestable

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: contestari
- Root: testis

## Etymology
From French contestant, present participle of contester ('to dispute, contest'), from Latin contestari ('to call to witness'), from con- (intensive) + testari ('to bear witness'), from testis ('witness').

## AI Etymology
Contestant is a noun meaning "a person who takes part in a competition". Historically, it is from French contestant, present participle of contester ('to dispute, contest'), from Latin contestari ('to call to witness'), from con- (intensive) + testari ('to bear witness'), from testis ('witness'). The visible construction is part of the etymology: contestant is not just an unanalyzed simple word. The historical chain links Latin contestari with Latin testis. Close English family members include contest, contestation, and contestable.

## Topics
- People & Society
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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