challenge

English Online Dictionary. What means challenge‎? What does challenge mean?

English

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 *kēl-, *ḱēl- (“invocation; to beguile, feign, charm, cajole, deceive”). Cognate with Old English hōl (“calumny”). Doublet of calumny.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃæl.ɪnd͡ʒ/, /ˈt͡ʃæl.ənd͡ʒ/

Noun

challenge (plural challenges)

1. A confrontation; a dare.
   1. An antagonization or instigation intended to convince a person to perform an action they otherwise would not.
   2. A bid to overcome something.
   3. (sports) An attempt to take possession; a tackle.
   4. A summons to fight a duel; also, the letter or message conveying the summons.
   5. 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.
   6. An attempt to have a work of literature restricted or removed from a public library or school curriculum.
2. A difficult task, especially one that the person making the attempt finds more enjoyable because of that difficulty.
3. (law) A procedure or action.
   1. The act of appealing a ruling or decision of a court of administrative agency.
   2. (law, rare) 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).

   3. The act of seeking to remove a judge, arbitrator, or other judicial or semi-judicial figure for reasons of alleged bias or incapacity.

   4. (US) An act of seeking to have a certain person be declared not legally qualified to vote, made when the person offers their ballot.
4. (hunting) The opening and crying of hounds upon first finding the scent of their game.

Derived terms

Descendants

• → French: challenge (orthographic)
• → Japanese: チャレンジ (charenji)
• → Russian: че́ллендж (čéllendž)

Translations

Verb

challenge (third-person singular simple present challenges, present participle challenging, simple past and past participle challenged)

1. (transitive) To invite (someone) to take part in a competition.
2. (transitive) To dare (someone).
3. (transitive) To dispute (something).
4. To call something into question or dispute.

   New information challenged old hypotheses.

5. (law, transitive) To make a formal objection to a juror.
6. (transitive) To be difficult or challenging for.
7. (obsolete, transitive) To claim as due; to demand as a right.
8. (obsolete, transitive) To censure; to blame.
9. (military, transitive) To question or demand the countersign from (one who attempts to pass the lines).

10. (US, transitive) To object to the reception of the vote of, e.g. on the ground that the person is not qualified as a voter.
11. (Canada, US, transitive) To take (a final exam) in order to get credit for a course without taking it.

Synonyms

• becall, call out

Translations

Related terms

French

Etymology

Orthographic borrowing from English challenge, from Old French chalonge, from Latin calumnia. Doublet of calomnie.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃa.lɑ̃ʒ/
• IPA^(key): /tʃa.lɛndʒ/

Noun

challenge m (plural challenges)

1. challenge

Further reading

• “challenge”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Turkish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English challenge.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tʃe.ɫɯndʒ/

Noun

challenge (definite accusative challengeı, plural challengelar)

1. challenge

   Synonym: mücadele

Declension