competition

[ kom-pi-tish-uhn ]

/ ˌkɒm pɪˈtɪʃ ən /

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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.

OTHER WORDS FOR competition

1 emulation.

2 struggle.

See synonyms for competition on Thesaurus.com

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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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

OTHER WORDS FROM competition

non·com·pe·ti·tion, adjectivepro·com·pe·ti·tion, adjectivesu·per·com·pe·ti·tion, noun

Words nearby competition

compete, competence, competency, competent, competently, competition, competitive, competitive exclusion, competitive exclusion principle, competitor, competitory

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use competition in a sentence

The team sifts through tools and monitors search term competition, so it’s not always bidding for the number one search term which could eat into margins.
Beyond the boom and bust cycle: How The Sun grew and stabilized its e-commerce revenue haul|Lucinda Southern|August 27, 2020|Digiday
While the competition with China heats up, private industry partners used the opportunity of the announcement to highlight the collaborative aspects of the new program.
U.S. vies for leadership in quantum and A.I. with $1 billion bet|rhhackettfortune|August 26, 2020|Fortune
Apple has also faced government investigations into its aggressive efforts to minimize its corporate taxes and complaints that it has abused control of its app store to charge excessive fees and stifle competition to its own digital services.
Apple CEO Tim Cook is fulfilling another Steve Jobs vision|Rachel Schallom|August 24, 2020|Fortune
The competition to build the next spacecraft to delivery astronauts to the moon is getting serious.
Here’s what NASA’s next moon lander may look like|Aaron Pressman|August 21, 2020|Fortune

And, by the way, Apple is adding a similar feature to its upcoming iOS 14 software, so the competition will only heat up.
Samsung Note20 Ultra review: Why this big phone works for the COVID era|Aaron Pressman|August 18, 2020|Fortune
“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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
When companies faced competition, Klein knew, consumers would have options.
Your Local School Doesn’t Have to Suck|Michael S. Roth|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
Berlin was equally cut off from competition, for Berlin had to devote herself to the task of financing war for Germany.
Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips
All prices, provided that competition is free, are made to appear as the necessary result of natural forces.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
He shows that under free individual competition there is a perpetual waste of energy.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
Those were the days when between the Scottish railway companies the keenest rivalry and the bitterest competition existed.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland|Joseph Tatlow
A great charm in Trevithick's character was his freedom and largeness of view in questions of competition.
Life of Richard Trevithick, Volume II (of 2)|Francis Trevithick

British Dictionary definitions for competition

competition

/ (ˌkɒmpɪˈtɪʃən) /

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