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Glite Dictionary
🎟️ A special entry 🤔 An unpredictable person 🔍 A search symbol 🃏 A flexible card
wildcard

wildcard

2 5.7
A competitor allowed to enter a tournament without qualifying
  • noun
  • /ˈwaɪldˌkɑrd/
translation icon : comodín
  • The Colts and Titans could be battling it out for a wildcard spot in the playoffs, but both teams have plenty of room to grow before they are considered serious contenders by anyone.
  • a wildcard team
  • a wildcard playoff
  • a wildcard game

Examples

  • As of right now, there are 5 teams in striking distance of the two AL Wildcard spots, and Baltimore and the New York Yankees are neck and neck for the division.

    Blog text (22)

  • Mallory Cecil, who won the N.C.A.A. girls' title, received a wildcard into the main draw to compete against top players.

  • Especially holding on to the wildcard spot and then sweeping the Rangers to win the division.

    Blog text (7)

  • Britton earned a wildcard to the Open, his first Grand Slam event at the pro level.

    Blog text (11)

  • Mallory Cecil, who won the N.C.A.A. girls' title, got a wildcard into the main draw.

    Blog text (11)

  • Britton earned a wildcard to the Open, giving him a chance to compete at his first Grand Slam event.

  • After failing to qualify, she applied for a wildcard entry into the tournament.

How Qualified

seeded player
  • Jargon
1 4.4
qualifier
18 3.7
entrant
14 4.3
wildcard
2 5.7

Surface Forms

wildcard singular
wildcards plural

Morphology

wildcard = wild + card (semi-transparent) = wild + card

The components 'wild' and 'card' are visible, but the sports-specific convention 'entrant allowed without qualifying' is an idiomatic, conventionalized sense.

Etymology

The word wildcard comes from card games where a wild card could be 'any' card a player needed, free of the usual rules. So a tournament 'wildcard' is a player allowed into an event without qualifying, like a card that fills a place.