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Meaning & use

victory

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈvɪk.tər.i/
US/ˈvɪk.tɚ.i/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable or uncountable

    The result of beating an opponent in a war, game or contest.

    Grammar: Countable for a particular win (a famous victory) and uncountable for winning in general (victory is near).

    Patterns

    • victory over someone
    • a victory for someone
    • win a victory

    The team celebrated their victory over their rivals.

    The army's victory ended the war.

    She claimed victory in the final round.

  2. nouncountablefigurative

    Success in overcoming a difficulty or reaching a hard goal.

    Grammar: Often used about causes and struggles, with over: a victory over fear.

    Patterns

    • a victory over something
    • a victory for something

    Learning to swim was a small victory over her fear of water.

    The ruling was a victory for free speech.

    Finishing the marathon felt like a personal victory.

Word forms

pluralvictories

Common combinations

win a victory
The challenger won a narrow victory.
claim victory
Both candidates claimed victory on election night.
a decisive victory
The home side secured a decisive victory.
a narrow victory
A late goal gave them a narrow victory.
victory over
The victory over the champions surprised everyone.
a moral victory
Losing by one point felt like a moral victory.

Synonyms and how they differ

win
Win is the everyday word for a victory in a game, and it is more casual than victory.
triumph
Triumph suggests a great, impressive success and carries more emotion than victory.
conquest
Conquest means taking control of a place or person by force, not just beating them.
success
Success does not need an opponent, while victory suggests overcoming one.

Opposites

defeatloss

Word family

victorious adjective
having won a battle or contest
victor noun
the person or side that wins
victoriously adverb
in a way that shows winning
vanquish verb
to defeat completely, a more literary word

Commonly confused: victory or victim?

victory vs victim

A victim is someone harmed by an event or crime, while a victory is a win.

Practice

Which word is the opposite of victory?

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