Past tense of champion; to have supported, promoted, or fought for a cause, person, or idea.
From 'champion' (originally a fighter in combat) plus '-ed,' making a verb meaning to actively support something, the meaning evolved from physical fighting to fighting metaphorically for a cause.
The word 'championed' is beautiful because it preserves the original warrior meaning—when you champion something, you're still fighting for it, just with words and ideas instead of swords!
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