competition

[kom-pi-tish-uhn]

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

/ 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

competition

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of competition¹

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

Defeat against Lazio on Sunday was the side's third consecutive loss in all competitions.

Read more on BBC

India’s brainpower, medical muscle and industrial edge—from its IT ecosystem to pharmaceutical production—offer the U.S. a sophisticated partner in a new era of great-power competition.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The move puts Qualcomm, which has so far focused on semiconductors for mobile devices, in direct competition with Nvidia, which has dominated the market for AI chips.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

It’s going to make for quite a competition to be an All-City quarterback.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

So imagine her surprise when she learned that she and her stepmother won the Grape Camp winemaking competition.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• championship 
• clash 
• event 
• fight 
• game 
• match 
• meeting 
• race 
• rivalry 
• sport 
• struggle 
• tournament 
• trial