victory

victory, conquest, triumph can mean the result achieved by one who gains the mastery in a contest or struggle. Victory and conquest in their basic use carry the same implications and suggestions as the corresponding agent nouns (see VICTOR)

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"Victory," said Nelson, "is not a name strong enough for such a scene"; he called it a conquest— S out hey

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In their common extended use, victory is likely to suggest a gaining of superiority or success, often in intellectual or spiritual fields

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a first instance of the victory of technical knowledge . . . over the traditional crafts— Michael Barbour

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his mental victory over this cruel illness is . . . inspiring— Patterson

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music . . . starts off at the point where the victory of the spirit over musical instruments is complete— Spender

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while conquest is more likely to imply a bringing of something under one's control, especially so that it may be put to use

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man's conquest of the soil— Shaplen

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art is essentially a con-quest of matter by the spirit— Binyon

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Triumph may apply either to a brilliant or decisive victory or an overwhelming conquest and suggest the acclaim and personal satisfaction accruing to the winner

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his [Wellington's] triumph will be sung ... far on in summers that we shall not see— Tennyson

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it is surely questionable whether we . . . should desire their triumph, a degree of success that clearly implies the full accomplishment of all their ends, good and bad— The Commonweal

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In its extended use triumph tends to stress decisiveness and brilliance of the result

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the triumph of industrialism and the spread of urbanism— Glicksberg

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or to express the pleasure of the successful person

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she was clearly conscious of her success .... There was a little prance of triumph in her walk— Dahl

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Analogous words: winning, gaining (see GET): ascendancy, *supremacy: control, sway, dominion, command, *power, authority

Antonyms: defeat