Meaning & use

contestant

noun·Everyday

A person who takes part in a competition.

See it in a sentence

Each contestant had ninety seconds to answer the final trivia question.

The talent show narrowed the field down to just three contestants for the finale.

A note on using this word

Contestant is most common for game shows and formal competitions, while competitor is used more broadly, including in business.

Words with a similar meaning

competitorparticipant

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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