competitor
Americannoun
noun
Synonym Usage
See opponent.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of competitor
First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin competītor “rival for an office,” equivalent to com- com- + petītor “seeker, claimant” ( see petitor)
Explanation
Competitors are rivals or contenders for the same thing. Two boxers in a ring are competitors, and so are restaurants located on the same block. When people compete (in sports, business, or elsewhere), they're trying to achieve the same goal and are therefore considered competitors. Two teams in the same sports division are competitors. Two politicians running for the same office are competitors. And even two guys courting the same gal are considered competitors. Competitors are out to win.
Vocabulary lists containing competitor
Vocabulary of the Summer Olympics
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Chapter 11: Industry and Immigration, Lessons 1–3
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List, Group, Label pre-reading exercise
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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 regardless of SpaceX’s viability as a mobile competitor, wireless investors may still worry about when the next shoe will drop with a notoriously volatile company.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 25, 2026
Eylea received regulatory approval in 2011, the next biggest competitor was approved in 2022.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
He said he considered Robinhood to be a top competitor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Novo Nordisk claimed its main competitor in the weight-loss drug business had committed "multiple violations" of federal and state false advertising and unfair competition laws, through its nationwide ad campaigns.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
Another drone started, another competitor, another zoom, another crazy jump, freestyle, then another.
From "The London Eye Mystery" by Siobhan Dowd
And Nelson expects Mama’s, under the direction of CEO Adam Michaels, to continue to be “stingy” in what it pays to roll up competitors.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
BAE Systems unveiled Britain's first sovereign CCA at Farnborough, though London has yet to commit to a procurement decision, leaving the field open to competitors.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
However, he warned that the telecommunications industry is still downplaying the risk from satellite competitors, which in his view is a mistake.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
The EU said in its decision that enough studios remain as competitors in film production in the region.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
And it definitely had nothing to do with her fellow competitors walloping her at the race yesterday.
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
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.
