Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1200-1300
Language: Old French
Origin: chalengier 'to accuse', from Latin calumniari 'to accuse falsely', from calumnia; CALUMNY

challenge

2 verb
     
Related topics: Law
challenge2 S3 W3 [transitive]
1

question something

to refuse to accept that something is right, fair, or legal:
a boy with a reputation for challenging the authority of his teachers
challenge a view/an idea/an assumption etc
Viewpoints such as these are strongly challenged by environmentalists.
They went to the High Court to challenge the decision.
challenge somebody to do something
I challenge Dr. Carver to deny his involvement!
2

competition

to invite someone to compete or fight against you, or to try to win something [↪ challenger, dare]
challenge somebody to something
After lunch Carey challenged me to a game of tennis.
challenge for
Liverpool are challenging for the title (=in a position where they could win).
3

something difficult

to test the skills or abilities of someone or something [= stimulate]:
I'm really at my best when I'm challenged.
challenge somebody to do something
Every teacher ought to be challenging kids to think about current issues.
4

stop somebody

to stop someone and demand proof of who they are, and an explanation of what they are doing:
We were challenged by the security guard at the gate.
5

in law

SCL law to state before the start of a court case that a juror is not acceptable
—challenger noun [countable]
Lewis is his main challenger for the world title.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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