Müsabaka

Müsabaka is a Turkish noun meaning competition, contest, or match. It refers to organized events in which participants compete, such as sports matches, academic contests, auditions, or other formal competitive activities. In everyday Turkish, more general terms like yarışma (competition) or maç (match) are common, but müsabaka is used when the event is formal, official, or part of a broader program such as a tournament schedule or official results.

Etymology and usage notes: the word derives from Arabic musābaqa, meaning competition or race, and was borrowed into Turkish with vowel harmony as müsabaka. It can denote a single event or a series of events and is often found in institutional or ceremonial contexts, such as sports federations, schools, and cultural organizations. The plural form is müsabakalar, and it participates in common Turkish compounds like müsabaka takvimi (competition schedule) or müsabaka sonuçları (competition results).

Regional and linguistic variants: in Azerbaijani, a closely related term with a similar meaning is müsabiqə, used to denote competition or contest. While the core idea overlaps across Turkic languages, spelling and usage may differ to fit local orthography and conventions.

See also: yarışma, maç, turnuva, turnuva organize.