entry
victory
/ˈvɪktəri/Success in battle, competition, or another endeavor
From Latin victor (conqueror).
from Proto-Indo-European *weyk- (“to contain, envelop; to overcome”)) + -ia (suffix forming feminine abstract nouns)....
from Latin victoria "victory," also name of a female deity of the Romans (identified with Greek Nikē )
+1 more sourcefrom Middle English victorien (“to overcome, vanquish”)
from Middle English victory, victori, victorie (“supremacy, victory; a defeat or vanquishing, conquest; superior...
from Middle English victory, victori, victorie (“supremacy, victory; a defeat or vanquishing, conquest; superior...
Word Ancestry
from Proto-Indo-European *weyk- (“to contain, envelop; to overcome”)) + -ia (suffix forming feminine abstract nouns)....
from Latin victoria "victory," also name of a female deity of the Romans (identified with Greek Nikē )
+1 more sourcefrom Middle English victorien (“to overcome, vanquish”)
from Middle English victory, victori, victorie (“supremacy, victory; a defeat or vanquishing, conquest; superior...
from Middle English victory, victori, victorie (“supremacy, victory; a defeat or vanquishing, conquest; superior...
Picture a Roman crowd watching a general return beneath a red-and-gold standard: his success was victoria, and the person who achieved it was the victor. English inherited the noun through Anglo-French and Middle English, where victory could mean not only military conquest but also spiritual triumph and vindication. The same family supplied words such as invincible and evict—one describes someone who cannot be overcome, while the other originally involves forcing someone out. In 1921, people were already speaking of a “victory dance,” and during World War II the “victory garden” turned ordinary backyards into small food-producing fronts. So victory is more than a win: it carries the image of an obstacle being contained, overwhelmed, and left behind.
The Story
Picture a Roman crowd watching a general return beneath a red-and-gold standard: his success was victoria, and the person who achieved it was the victor. English inherited the noun through Anglo-French and Middle English, where victory could mean not only military conquest but also spiritual triumph and vindication. The same family supplied words such as invincible and evict—one describes someone who cannot be overcome, while the other originally involves forcing someone out. In 1921, people were already speaking of a “victory dance,” and during World War II the “victory garden” turned ordinary backyards into small food-producing fronts. So victory is more than a win: it carries the image of an obstacle being contained, overwhelmed, and left behind.
Modern Usage
A clear and decisive win, or one of three possible outcomes alongside a loss or draw
Kin & Kindred
From 'victor'·conqueror; one who overcomes
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Etymonline
Free Dictionary
Urban Dictionary
Wikipedia
Wiktionary