competitor
Americannoun
noun
Synonym Usage
See opponent.
Other Word Forms
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.
Competitor SK Hynix also seeks a U.S. listing.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
Competitor Allianz guided for 7% to 9% for 2024-27, and Munich Re is trading at a discount to the company.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 11, 2025
Competitor Ford shut down its Argo robotaxi unit in 2002, concluding that the possibility of far-off profits weren’t worth the enormous cash drain.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 27, 2023
Competitor Walgreens is waiting on further guidance from the FDA regarding phenylephrine before making a decision on the products, according to a Q&A page on their website.
From Washington Times • Oct. 20, 2023
When the American schooner Competitor was captured recently, on an errand to the Cuban insurgents, the Spaniards did not dare to repeat the tragedy of the Virginius.
From The Land We Live In The Story of Our Country by Mann, Henry
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.
