A person who takes part in a contest, competition, or game. Contestants usually try to win a prize, title, or recognition.
From *contest* plus the noun-forming suffix *-ant*, influenced by Latin *contestari* 'to call to witness, to dispute'. It came to mean someone who is actively involved in a competition or dispute.
You see this word all the time on game shows and reality TV, but it’s really just a fancy way to say 'competitor.' The *-ant* ending is a flag that says 'this is the person doing the action.' So a contestant contests, just like a student studies and a singer sings.
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