compete

American

[kuhm-peet] / kəmˈpit /

verb (used without object)

competed, competing

to strive to outdo another for acknowledgment, a prize, supremacy, profit, etc.; engage in a contest; vie: to compete in business.

to compete in a race;
to compete in business.

Synonyms:

struggle

idioms

cannot/can't compete with, to not be, by a great degree, as good or capable as (someone or something else).

These roses are lovely, but they can’t compete with the ones we grew back home in Ecuador.

compete British

/ kəmˈpiːt /

verb

to contend (against) for profit, an award, athletic supremacy, etc; engage in a contest (with)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

Compete, contend, contest mean to strive to outdo or excel. Compete implies having a sense of rivalry and of striving to do one's best as well as to outdo another: to compete for a prize. Contend suggests opposition or disputing as well as rivalry: to contend with an opponent, against obstacles. Contest suggests struggling to gain or hold something, as well as contending or disputing: to contest a position or ground ( in battle ); to contest a decision.

Other Word Forms

competer noun
competingly adverb
noncompeting adjective
outcompete verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of compete

First recorded in 1610–20; from Latin competere “to meet, coincide, be fitting, suffice” ( Late Latin: “to seek, ask for”), equivalent to com- “with, together” + petere “to seek”; com-. The Late Latin and English senses were influenced by competitor

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

With English parents, Harrop could have competed for Team GB but having relocated to the French Alps as a child she opted to represent France.

From BBC

At the same time, state involvement doesn’t mean total state control: Many Chinese miners are in the private sector—including some listed on stock exchanges—and they compete for profits and market share.

From The Wall Street Journal

Each school community expects to compete at the highest level and fundraising for the private schools is helped immensely by a successful program.

From Los Angeles Times

Previously unreported data shows that Copilot subscribers, including those with corporate accounts, are increasingly favoring competing options.

From The Wall Street Journal

Rival bidder Paramount Skydance continues to push a competing offer to buy the company.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023