competitor
Americannoun
noun
Related Words
See opponent.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of competitor
First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin competītor “rival for an office,” equivalent to com- com- + petītor “seeker, claimant” ( see petitor)
Explanation
Competitors are rivals or contenders for the same thing. Two boxers in a ring are competitors, and so are restaurants located on the same block. When people compete (in sports, business, or elsewhere), they're trying to achieve the same goal and are therefore considered competitors. Two teams in the same sports division are competitors. Two politicians running for the same office are competitors. And even two guys courting the same gal are considered competitors. Competitors are out to win.
Vocabulary lists containing competitor
Vocabulary of the Summer Olympics
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Chapter 11: Industry and Immigration, Lessons 1–3
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List, Group, Label pre-reading exercise
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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.
Busch was known throughout his career as a competitor who gave no quarter—talking trash, getting into scuffles, and even crashing cars—in pursuit of victory.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 2026
Speedway Motorsports, which owns Charlotte Motor Speedway where Busch was set to compete this weekend, remembered him as a "champion among champions" and as a "once-in-a-generation competitor".
From BBC • May 21, 2026
OpenAI’s ChatGPT is still by far the most popular AI chatbot and Anthropic’s Claude is regarded as one of the best models for coding, but investors widely view Google as a formidable competitor.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
Freeman, ever the competitor, tried to get Roberts to reconsider, but the Dodgers manager held firm.
From Los Angeles Times • May 16, 2026
“Cecilia is a great competitor and she bested me today. Win or lose, competing here today was bigger than any of my own personal ambitions.”
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
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.
