competition

[kom-pi-tish-uhn]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR competition ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act of competing; rivalry for supremacy, a prize, etc.: The competition between the two teams was bitter.

a contest for some prize, honor, or advantage: Both girls entered the competition.

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?

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.

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

Origin of competition

1595–1605; < Late Latin competītiōn- (stem of competītiō), equivalent to competīt(us) (past participle of competere to meet, come together) + -iōn- -ion; sense influenced by competitor

Related formsnon·com·pe·ti·tion, adjectivepro·com·pe·ti·tion, adjectivesu·per·com·pe·ti·tion, noun

Synonyms for competition

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR competition ON THESAURUS.COM

1. emulation. 2. struggle.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for competition

championship, clash, meeting, tournament, fight, trial, game, race, struggle, sport, rivalry, event, match, candidacy, run, contention, antagonism, tilt, puzzle, engagement

Examples from the Web for competition

Contemporary Examples of competition

“Competition is there, of course, but I think there is enough business for everyone as long as the demand is there,” he says.
Ghost Ships of the Mediterranean
Barbie Latza Nadeau
January 6, 2015
I am fighting that quota because I am an advocate of competition.
Propaganda, Protest, and Poisonous Vipers: The Cinema War in Korea
Rich Goldstein
December 30, 2014
Who knew that a competition where you clutch the hand of another man and lock eyes across a table could be this damn gay.
High-End Pervs Film Benedict Cumberbatch and Reese Witherspoon Sucking Face
Amy Zimmerman
December 11, 2014
Fedaa was an artist from the start, winning first place in a competition when she was six years old.
Drawing on the Memories of Syrian Women
Masha Hamilton
November 26, 2014
“The competition is very fierce, we have very good competitors,” he told the Daily Beast.
Kissy-Face The Nation: Washington’s Power Elite Smooch Bob Schieffer
Lloyd Grove
November 18, 2014

Historical Examples of competition

The keener the competition, the greater the honor of success.
The Story of the Malakand Field Force
Sir Winston S. Churchill
The spirit of competition and commercial rivalry was absent.
Heroes of the Telegraph
J. Munro
Now the little shop had been far distanced by the competition of Sothern and Lee.
The Fortune Hunter
Louis Joseph Vance
The competition had commenced, and I was the tenth on the list.
My Double Life
Sarah Bernhardt
"Why—er—well, there's the most competition on the X & Y Road," he said, slowly.
Four Girls and a Compact
Annie Hamilton Donnell

British Dictionary definitions for competition

competition

noun

the act of competing; rivalry

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

a series of games, sports events, etc

the opposition offered by a competitor or competitors

a competitor or competitors offering opposition

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

Word Origin and History for competition

c.1600, "action of competing," from Latin competitionem (nominative competitio) "agreement, rivalry," noun of action from past participle stem of competere (see compete). Meaning "a contest for something" is from 1610s. Sense of "rivalry in the marketplace" attested from 1793; that of "entity or entities with which one competes" is from 1961, especially in business.

competition in Medicine

competition

[kŏm′pĭ-tĭsh′ən]

n.

The process by which the activity or presence of one substance interferes with or suppresses the activity of another substance with similar affinities, as of antigens.

The simultaneous demand by two or more organisms for limited environmental resources.

competition in Science

competition

[kŏm′pĭ-tĭsh′ən]

The simultaneous demand by two or more organisms for limited environmental resources, such as nutrients, living space, or light.