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Synonyms

competition

American  
[kom-pi-tish-uhn] / ˌkɒm pɪˈtɪʃ ən /

noun

  1. the act of competing; rivalry for supremacy, a prize, etc..

    The competition between the two teams was bitter.

    Synonyms:
    emulation
  2. a contest for some prize, honor, or advantage.

    Both girls entered the competition.

    Synonyms:
    struggle
  3. the rivalry offered by a competitor.

    The small merchant gets powerful competition from the chain stores.

  4. a competitor or competitors.

    What is your competition offering?

  5. Sociology. rivalry between two or more persons or groups for an object desired in common, usually resulting in a victor and a loser but not necessarily involving the destruction of the latter.

  6. Ecology. the struggle among organisms, both of the same and of different species, for food, space, and other vital requirements.


competition British  
/ ˌkɒmpɪˈtɪʃən /

noun

  1. the act of competing; rivalry

  2. a contest in which a winner is selected from among two or more entrants

  3. a series of games, sports events, etc

  4. the opposition offered by a competitor or competitors

  5. a competitor or competitors offering opposition

  6. ecology the struggle between individuals of the same or different species for food, space, light, etc, when these are inadequate to supply the needs of all

"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

competition Scientific  
/ kŏm′pĭ-tĭshən /
  1. The simultaneous demand by two or more organisms for limited environmental resources, such as nutrients, living space, or light.


Other Word Forms

  • noncompetition adjective
  • procompetition adjective
  • supercompetition noun

Etymology

Origin of competition

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Late Latin competītiōn-, stem of competītiō “agreement, rivalry,” from competīt(us) “agreed, met” (past participle of competere “to agree, come together, meet”; compete ( def. ) ) + -iō -ion; sense 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.

In turn, he stopped short of calling a price trough, as “gold is continuing to see competition from buy and sell pressures.”

From Barron's

Weak demand across its customer base weighed on sales volumes and competition from Asian rivals forced it to lower some prices.

From The Wall Street Journal

I wrote “Jackson Alone” to submit to a competition for new writers.

From Los Angeles Times

It added: "This decision helps to clarify the framework applicable to similar situations in the future and contributes to the consistency and credibility of international competitions, particularly African football."

From BBC

It also recently raised prices for AI services, accelerating the U-turn taking shape in an industry previously characterized by cutthroat discounting competition.

From The Wall Street Journal