competitive
Americanadjective
-
of, pertaining to, involving, or decided by competition.
competitive sports; a competitive examination.
-
well suited for competition; having a feature that makes for successful competition.
a competitive price.
-
having a strong desire to compete or to succeed.
-
useful to a competitor; giving a competitor an advantage.
He was careful not to divulge competitive information about his invention.
adjective
-
involving or determined by rivalry
competitive sports
-
sufficiently low in price or high in quality to be successful against commercial rivals
-
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
- anticompetitive adjective
- anticompetitively adverb
- anticompetitiveness noun
- competitively adverb
- competitiveness noun
- noncompetitive adjective
- noncompetitively adverb
- noncompetitiveness noun
- overcompetitive adjective
- overcompetitively adverb
- overcompetitiveness noun
- pseudocompetitive adjective
- pseudocompetitively adverb
- quasi-competitive adjective
- quasi-competitively adverb
- supercompetitive adjective
- uncompetitive adjective
- uncompetitively adverb
- uncompetitiveness noun
Etymology
Origin of competitive
First recorded in 1820–30; from Latin competīt(us) (past participle of competere “to meet, coincide”; 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.
Vocabulary lists containing competitive
Word Generation Social Studies - Ancient Civilizations of Egypt, Greece, Rome
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 6
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Skin I'm In
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
“We are in the most competitive space that has ever existed and will ever exist.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
Playing for one of South America's giants, where winning every game is an obligation, forged the competitive instinct that now defines him.
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026
Each layer has its own competitive landscape and margin profile.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026
But Ogwumike is the kind of player whom the Sparks could build a competitive campaign around, especially with a front court in which she plays alongside Brink.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026
I was very competitive, so I answered, “Yes, Your Excellency. We will win.”
From "Facing the Lion" by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton and Herman Viola
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.
