Championed

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To have ardently advocated for, promoted, or defended a person or cause while showing considerable enthusiasm
2. To have passionately supported, endorsed, or fought for a significant issue or individual, often in a public manner
3. To have vigorously supported, promoted, or defended an idea or individual, often demonstrating zeal and commitment

Etymology: "Championed" is the past tense of "champion," and the verb traces back to a much more literal job: a champion was a fighter who stood in for someone else in a trial by combat. In medieval Europe, a person accused of a crime, or a party to a dispute, could have a hired fighter face the opponent in a judicial duel, and the winner's side was deemed to have right on its side. The noun reached English from Old French "champion," which came from Late Latin "campio," meaning a combatant or gladiator, likely from Latin "campus" ("field" or "battlefield"), since duels were fought on open ground. The sense of a person who wins a contest in sport came later, and the verb meaning to defend or advocate for a cause developed from the idea of fighting on someone's behalf. Champions in this older sense were fighting for another person's honour rather than their own, which is the thread that connects the medieval duellist to the modern advocate.

Synonyms: advocated, supported, promoted, defended, backed

Antonyms: opposed, criticized, attacked, rejected, abandoned