Wins

A win is a victory or successful result in competition, conflict, or effort. It can refer to the act of defeating an opponent or achieving a goal, as well as to the event or match in which victory occurs. The term is used across sports, games, elections, and business to denote success relative to a defined standard or competitor.

In sports, a win is recorded when a team or player finishes with the better result in a game, match, or race. Standings are often expressed as a win-loss record, with ties handled differently by sport. The significance of a win depends on context: a conference game, a tournament match, or a final-round finish can have different implications for standings, qualifications, or momentum.

In many professional sports, a win is also a formal statistic assigned to a participant or contributor according to game rules. For example, in baseball a win is credited to the pitcher judged to have been most productive in leading the team to victory, subject to specific criteria; other sports assign wins to the team as a whole or to individuals in more abstract terms.

Outside competition, the term is used for achieving favorable outcomes, such as winning a prize, winning support, or winning consent in negotiations.

Cultural emphasis on winning varies, but most systems juxtapose winning with sportsmanship, effort, and learning from losses. The concept remains central to many activities, reflecting a desire for success while also highlighting the value of fair play and resilience in the face of setbacks.