What is the difference between contest and tournament?

As nouns the difference between contest and tournament

is that contest is controversy; debate while tournament is during the Middle Ages, a series of battles and other contests designed to prepare knights for war.

As a verb contest

is to contend.

contest

English

Noun

(uncountable) Controversy; debate.

no contest

(uncountable) Struggle for superiority; combat.

(countable) A competition.

The child entered the spelling contest .

Synonyms

* (controversy) controversy, debate, discussion * (combat) battle, combat, fight * (competition) competition, pageant

Derived terms

(Terms derived from the noun "contest") * contest shape * fashion contest * no contest * pissing contest * popularity contest * wet t-shirt contest * will contest

Verb

(en verb)

To contend.

I will contest for the open seat on the board.

* Alexander Pope

Of man, who dares in pomp with Jove contest ?

* Bishop Burnet

The difficulty of an argument adds to the pleasure of contesting with it, when there are hopes of victory.

To call into question; to oppose.

The rival contested the dictator's re-election because of claims of voting irregularities.

* J. D. Morell

Few philosophical aphorisms have been more frequently repeated, few more contested than this.

To strive earnestly to hold or maintain; to struggle to defend.

The troops contested every inch of ground.

(legal) To make a subject of litigation; to defend, as a suit; to dispute or resist, as a claim, by course of law; to controvert.

Synonyms

* (contend) compete, contend, go in for * (oppose) call into question, oppose

Antonyms

* (oppose) support

tournament

English

(wikipedia tournament)

Noun

(en noun)

(historical) During the Middle Ages, a series of battles and other contests designed to prepare knights for war.

A series of games; either the same game played many times, or a succession of games related by a single theme; played competitively to determine a single winning team or individual.

* 2011 , Phil McNulty, Euro 2012: Montenegro 2-2 England [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/15195384.stm]

England secured their place at Euro 2012 with a scrambled draw in Montenegro - but Wayne Rooney was sent off and will miss the start of the tournament .