The person or team that currently possesses a championship title.
Reach for it when identifying the reigning winner rather than predicting who is strongest now
The titleholder returned to defend the regional chess championship.
| playful | |
|---|---|
| everyday | |
| professional |
|
| literary |
playful
top dog
Fits when casual emphasis on current supremacy fits
Careful Top dog is flippant and can imply dominance beyond the actual title.
everyday
Fits when the winner and the honor are more important than current tenure
Careful Champion can name any past winner or advocate, not only the present titleholder.
professional
defending champion
Fits when the current holder is actively contesting the title again
Careful A titleholder who does not enter the event is not a defending champion.
professional
reigning champion
Fits when current possession of the title should be unmistakable
Careful The longer phrase is redundant if titleholder is already clear.
literary
crown bearer
Fits when ceremonial imagery suits celebratory writing
Careful Crown bearer sounds invented and is inaccurate for many competitions.
reigning titleholder
The reigning titleholder greeted each junior finalist.
world titleholder
The world titleholder trained at the same public track as the beginners.
current titleholder
The current titleholder won the trophy two seasons ago.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Updated
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