n.
- a call to someone to participate in a contest or fight to decide who is superior.
▸a demanding task or situation.
▸an attempt to win a sporting contest.
- a call to prove or justify something.
- Medicine exposure of the immune system to pathogenic organisms or antigens.
v.
- dispute the truth or validity of.
▸Law object to (a jury member).
▸(of a guard) order (someone) to prove their identity.
- invite (someone) to engage in a contest or fight.
▸make a rival claim to (a position).
▸
[usu. as adj. challenging]
test the abilities of.
- Medicine expose (the immune system) to pathogenic organisms or antigens.
Derivative
- challengeable adj.
- challenger n.
- challengingly adv.
Etymology
ME: from OFr. chalenge (n.), chalenger (v.), from L. calumnia ‘calumny’, calumniari ‘calumniate’.