competition
Americannoun
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the act of competing; rivalry for supremacy, a prize, etc..
The competition between the two teams was bitter.
- Synonyms:
- emulation
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a contest for some prize, honor, or advantage.
Both girls entered the competition.
- Synonyms:
- struggle
-
the rivalry offered by a competitor.
The small merchant gets powerful competition from the chain stores.
-
a competitor or competitors.
What is your competition offering?
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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.
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Ecology. the struggle among organisms, both of the same and of different species, for food, space, and other vital requirements.
noun
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the act of competing; rivalry
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a contest in which a winner is selected from among two or more entrants
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a series of games, sports events, etc
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the opposition offered by a competitor or competitors
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a competitor or competitors offering opposition
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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
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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”; see compete ( def. )) + -iō -ion; sense influenced by competitor
Explanation
If you are trying to win or attempting to prove you're the best, you're in a competition. The word also describes your opponent in sports, business, and politics. If you're trying to beat out someone else — whether in the Olympics or a pie-baking contest — it's a competition, and the other contestants are called the competition too. If you describe something as a "friendly competition," you're saying the outcome isn't critical, or there's no money involved. If you do something impressive in order to win, people will say competition brings out the best in you. If you try to injure your opponent, they'll say it brings out the worst.
Vocabulary lists containing competition
List 1
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The Industrial Revolution - Introductory
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Life Science: Ecosystems
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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.
See Examples For:
But the smaller chip company’s new product announcements show there’s fierce competition in the market for central processing units as well.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
The agency’s antitrust division plans to announce today a new model for streamlining the reviews that would quickly focus on the most apparent ways a deal might diminish competition, according to DOJ officials.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
The track and field competition begins on Monday.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
While large-scale competition shows are eligible for the state’s tax credit, such as Jimmy Kimmel’s “Schooled!” science experiment series for kids, other kinds of popular reality TV shows cannot apply for production incentives.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
They were out of the competition before it had even begun.
From "Hopping Mad (The Hardy Boys: Secret Files, #4)" by Franklin W. Dixon
An abundance of these programs, unfortunately, are about gluttony, grease and ridiculous competitions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Meanwhile, Rogers contributed 14 goals and 12 assists in 55 appearances across all competitions for Aston Villa last season.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Saliba made 50 appearances across all competitions for Arsenal last season, as they ended a 22-year wait to win the Premier League and also reached the Champions League final.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Telemundo acquired the Spanish-language TV rights to the Union of European Football Assns. men’s club competitions, including the Champions League.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Lauren seemed to compensate by watching TV for hours at a time, housewives and fix-it shows and singing competitions flashing across the screen every time Maya came downstairs for a snack.
From "Far from the Tree" by Robin Benway
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
