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

Commenting on his new role on the spin-off, he said he was looking forward to his co-judges "taking me under their wing and seeing the chefs get off to a flying start in the competition".

From BBC

The European Commission said on Friday the tech giant had breached competition laws by favouring its own products for displaying online ads, to the detriment of rivals.

From BBC

The company's administrators said retailers were facing "challenging times" with rising costs and fierce competition for consumer spending.

From BBC

Added to that, the company doesn’t have much competition on the same scale, he said.

From Los Angeles Times

The NBA and the players’ union presented the format to the league’s competition committee on Wednesday and the response was positive, according to several media outlets.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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