Words of Positivity
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Prizewinner

n.capable, joyfuleveryday

What it means

A person, animal, or work that has received a prize for distinction.

Reach for it when identifying an entrant formally recognized as a winner

The young prizewinner thanked the technicians who helped build her telescope.

Choose between these

6
  • everyday

    champion

    for the victor in a sport or competitive series

    not when Champion suggests defeating rivals and rarely describes a winning book or design.

  • everyday

    winner

    when success in any contest or selection is enough

    not when Winner does not say whether the recognition involved a prize.

  • warm

    top honoree

    when accessible event language should emphasize highest recognition

    not when Top honoree is a phrase rather than an established role and needs a clear ranking.

  • professional

    awardee

    when an institution formally names the recipient of an award

    not when Awardee sounds administrative and may include grants that are not prizes.

  • professional

    medalist

    if the honor specifically takes the form of a medal

    not when Medalist is inaccurate when the prize is money, a trophy, or a title.

  • formal

    laureate

    for the recipient of a prestigious academic, artistic, or civic honor

    not when Laureate is elevated and inappropriate for many ordinary competitions.

Said against

3
  • runner-up
  • nonwinner
  • loser

It naturally appears in

3
  • young prizewinner

    The young prizewinner opened the exhibition with a short reading.

  • former prizewinner

    A former prizewinner returned to mentor this year's finalists.

  • competition prizewinner

    Each competition prizewinner received studio time and materials.

Where this comes from

The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.