1.
tournament, competition, meet
A large-scale sports competition or athletic event.
2.
convention, rally, mass meeting
A large gathering of people for a specific purpose, such as a conference or assembly.
大会 refers to large organized events, especially tournaments, competitions, and conventions. Combines 大 (big) + 会 (meeting/event).
COMMON COMPOUNDS:
- 世界大会 (world championship)
- 全国大会 (national tournament)
- 決勝大会 (finals, championship)
- 運動会 (sports day — uses 会 alone)
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 大会に出る/出場する (to participate in a tournament)
- 大会を開く/開催する (to hold a tournament)
- 大会で優勝する (to win a tournament)
- 大会記録 (tournament record)
SCOPE:
While most commonly used for sports competitions, 大会 can also refer to non-athletic events like 弁論大会 (speech contest) or 将棋大会 (shogi tournament). For political or organizational assemblies, 大会 means "convention" or "congress."
Related Words
Related:
試合 (match, game)