competitive

American  

[kuhm-pet-i-tiv] / kəmˈpɛt ɪ tɪv /

adjective

1. of, pertaining to, involving, or decided by competition.

   competitive sports; a competitive examination.

2. well suited for competition; having a feature that makes for successful competition.

   a competitive price.

3. having a strong desire to compete or to succeed.

4. useful to a competitor; giving a competitor an advantage.

   He was careful not to divulge competitive information about his invention.

---

competitive British  

/ kəmˈpɛtɪtɪv /

adjective

1. involving or determined by rivalry

   competitive sports

2. sufficiently low in price or high in quality to be successful against commercial rivals

3. relating to or characterized by an urge to compete

   a competitive personality

---

Usage

What does competitive mean? Competitive is most commonly used to describe a person who has a strong desire to compete and win. Competitive is commonly associated with sports, but it is used in many different contexts that involve competition. It is commonly used to describe someone or something that is able to succeed against or stay even with others in the same contest or setting, as in Our new product will help us stay competitive in this market. Example: Most pro athletes are competitive by nature and always want to win no matter what they’re playing—even if it’s something as simple as a game of cards.

Other Word Forms

• anticompetitiveness
  noun
• competitiveness
  noun
• noncompetitiveness
  noun
• overcompetitiveness
  noun
• uncompetitiveness
  noun
• anticompetitive
  adjective
• noncompetitive
  adjective
• overcompetitive
  adjective
• pseudocompetitive
  adjective
• quasi-competitive
  adjective
• supercompetitive
  adjective
• uncompetitive
  adjective
• anticompetitively
  adverb
• competitively
  adverb
• noncompetitively
  adverb
• overcompetitively
  adverb
• pseudocompetitively
  adverb
• quasi-competitively
  adverb
• uncompetitively
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of competitive

First recorded in 1820–30; from Latin competīt(us) (past participle of competere “to meet, coincide”; see compete) + -ive

Explanation

If you're competitive, you want to be the best. No one likes to lose, but if you are a competitive person, it will be especially disappointing to see someone else win. People who are competitive like to compete — to find out who knows the most, runs the fastest, can eat the most hot dogs, and so on. Some people are competitive about everything. You'll know them by their constant comparing themselves to others and trying to find out what others have and do — in order to be sure they are still "ahead." Competitive can describe any contest, like a competitive sandcastle-building event.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

competitive

“That may not be possible in today’s competitive free-market regime that we operate in,” Gupta said.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 19, 2026

Like many of his predecessors, Alonso has been attempting to instil a stronger competitive edge within his squad and improve the mentality of his players.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

Yet the system that emerged—combining public investment, competitive markets and freedom for talented individuals to pursue ambitious ideas—was remarkably productive, repeatedly turning scientific discoveries into new medicines for patients.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

“We’re in an unusual position where the most competitive race is the top of the ticket,” Mackowiak said.

From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026

Whether we’re businessmen in a competitive market or spouses in a marriage or superpowers in an arms race, our choices can often be phrased in terms of the prisoner’s dilemma.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos

Related Words

• aggressive
• ambitious
• competing
• cutthroat
• vying