competitive

[ kuhm-pet-i-tiv ]

adjective

1. of, pertaining to, involving, or decided by competition:

   competitive sports; a competitive examination.

2. well suited for competition; having a feature that makes for successful competition:

   a competitive price.

3. having a strong desire to compete or to succeed.
4. useful to a competitor; giving a competitor an advantage:

   He was careful not to divulge competitive information about his invention.

competitive

/ kəmˈpɛtɪtɪv /

adjective

1. involving or determined by rivalry

   competitive sports

2. sufficiently low in price or high in quality to be successful against commercial rivals
3. relating to or characterized by an urge to compete

   a competitive personality

Derived Forms

• comˈpetitively, adverb
• comˈpetitiveness, noun

Other Words From

• com·peti·tive·ly adverb
• com·peti·tive·ness noun
• anti·com·peti·tive adjective
• anti·com·peti·tive·ly adverb
• anti·com·peti·tive·ness noun
• noncom·peti·tive adjective
• noncom·peti·tive·ly adverb
• noncom·peti·tive·ness noun
• over·com·peti·tive adjective
• over·com·peti·tive·ly adverb
• over·com·peti·tive·ness noun
• pseudo·com·peti·tive adjective
• pseudo·com·peti·tive·ly adverb
• quasi-com·peti·tive adjective
• quasi-com·peti·tive·ly adverb
• super·com·peti·tive adjective
• uncom·peti·tive adjective
• uncom·peti·tive·ly adverb
• uncom·peti·tive·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of competitive¹

First recorded in 1820–30; from Latin competīt(us) (past participle of competere “to meet, coincide”; compete ) + -ive

Example Sentences

In the process, we get straightjacketed into emotionally distant, competitive lives.

From The Daily Beast

Boys are taught early in life to devalue care, to be hyper-competitive, super-achieving men.

From The Daily Beast

“These towns that are doing it just continue to make New Jersey less and less competitive,” Christie said.

From The Daily Beast

The follow-up story is how those who survived both the competitive onslaught, as well as the recession, have adapted.

From The Daily Beast

Yazbek says the demand for safe crossing has made the smugglers very competitive.

From The Daily Beast

This is simpler than having to cram and then stand the racket of a competitive examination.

From Project Gutenberg

Those were the days when competitive traffic, gained almost at any cost, was sweet as stolen kisses are said to be.

From Project Gutenberg

The design for the cathedral was a competitive one selected from many submitted by the greatest architects in the world.

From Project Gutenberg

Few find anything promising or attractive in the competitive examination.

From Project Gutenberg

Nicky's admirable judgment told him that as a competitive poet he was dished by Prothero.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• aggressive
• ambitious
• competing
• cutthroat
• vying