challenge
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈt͡ʃæl.ɪnd͡ʒ/
ipa: /ˈt͡ʃæl.ənd͡ʒ/
Forms: form: challenges
Etymology: From Middle English chalenge, variant with palatalization of Middle English kalange (“an accusation, claim”), from Old French chalenge, chalonge, palatalized Central French variants of Old Northern French calenge, calonge (see Continental Norman calengier), from Latin calumnia (“a false accusation, calumny”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱeh₁l-, *keh₁l- (“to beguile, deceive”). Cognate with Old English hōl (“calumny”). Doublet of calumny.
Senses: examples: text: Congratulations on managing to use the phrase “preponderant criterion” in a chart (“On your marks”, November 9th). Was this the work of a kakorrhaphiophobic journalist set a challenge by his colleagues, or simply an example of glossolalia?
ref: 2013 November 30, Paul Davis, “Letters: Say it as simply as possible”, in The Economist, volume 409, number 8864:
glosses: A confrontation; a dare.
An antagonization or instigation intended to convince a person to perform an action they otherwise would not.
examples: text: a challenge to the king's authority
text: For Liverpool, their season will now be regarded as a relative disappointment after failure to add the FA Cup to the Carling Cup and not mounting a challenge to reach the Champions League places.
ref: 2012 May 5, Phil McNulty, “Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool”, in BBC Sport:
glosses: A confrontation; a dare.
A bid to overcome something.
examples: text: Argentine midfielder Jonas Gutierrez added a superb second when he surged past four challenges to fire in low.
ref: 2011 October 1, Saj Chowdhury, “Wolverhampton 1-2 Newcastle”, in BBC Sport:
topics: hobbies
lifestyle
sports
glosses: A confrontation; a dare.
An attempt to take possession; a tackle.
glosses: A confrontation; a dare.
A summons to fight a duel; also, the letter or message conveying the summons.
examples: text: The somewhat-shattered San Francisco also managed to make it out, although not before she'd come within seconds of being blown out of the water by Helena, as the two had lost contact in the dark and the flagship had loomed back out of the murk with no one and nothing available to answer the light cruiser's challenge - the radio, the whistle, the signal lights, the flags, et cetera, had all been destroyed. Luckily, one of the few surviving signalmen found a small handheld signal light and managed to blink out the ship's hull number.
ref: 2021 March 10, Drachinifel, 27:16 from the start, in Guadalcanal Campaign - The Big Night Battle: Night 1 (IJN 3(?) : 2 USN), archived from the original on 07 Nov 2022:
glosses: A confrontation; a dare.
The act of a sentry in halting a person and demanding the countersign, or (by extension) the action of a computer system demanding a password, etc.
glosses: A confrontation; a dare.
An attempt to have a work of literature restricted or removed from a public library or school curriculum.
glosses: A difficult task, especially one that the person making the attempt finds more enjoyable because of that difficulty.
topics: law
glosses: A procedure or action.
The act of appealing a ruling or decision of a court of administrative agency.
examples: text: Consanguinity in direct line is a challenge for a judge when he or she is sitting cases.
topics: law
glosses: A procedure or action.
A judge's interest in the result of a case, constituting grounds for them to not be allowed to sit the case (e.g., a conflict of interest).
examples: text: We're still waiting to hear how the court rules on our challenge of the arbitrator based on conflict of interest.
topics: law
glosses: A procedure or action.
The act of seeking to remove a judge, arbitrator, or other judicial or semi-judicial figure for reasons of alleged bias or incapacity.
topics: law
glosses: A procedure or action.
An act of seeking to have a certain person be declared not legally qualified to vote, made when the person offers their ballot.
topics: hobbies
hunting
lifestyle
glosses: The opening and crying of hounds upon first finding the scent of their game.
Derived terms: word: challengeable
word: challenged
word: challengee
word: challengeful
word: challengeless
word: challenger
word: challenge run
word: challengest
word: challengeth
word: counterchallenge
word: dechallenge
word: floor temperature challenge
word: frame challenge
word: immunochallenge
word: megachallenge
word: mischallenge
word: multichallenge
word: multichallenger
word: nonchallenge
word: overchallenge
word: postchallenge
word: prechallenge
word: rechallenge
word: subchallenge
word: superchallenge
word: unchallengeable
word: unchallengeably
word: unchallenged
word: underchallenge
sense: Expressions
word: challenge coin
sense: Expressions
word: challenge exam
sense: Expressions
word: drug challenge
sense: Expressions
word: high challenge
sense: Expressions
word: ice bucket challenge
sense: Expressions
word: peremptory challenge
sense: Expressions
word: rise to the challenge
sense: Expressions
word: room temperature challenge