competitor
Americannoun
noun
Synonym Usage
See opponent.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
See Examples For:
He said he considered Robinhood to be a top competitor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Archer’s main competitor in the air taxi space is Joby, a startup based in Santa Cruz that has been entangled in a bitter legal battle with Archer for more than a year.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Another reason that may serve to contract the premium would be the possible U.S. listing of a depositary receipt for Samsung Electronics, Korea’s largest stock and a direct competitor for SK Hynix in many areas.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
The Microsoft relationship has grown more distant, the company’s ChatGPT is no longer the clear AI market leader and OpenAI has been surpassed in its private-market valuation by competitor Anthropic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
One javelin competitor had gained eight pounds in five days.
From "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand
And Nelson expects Mama’s, under the direction of CEO Adam Michaels, to continue to be “stingy” in what it pays to roll up competitors.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
BAE Systems unveiled Britain's first sovereign CCA at Farnborough, though London has yet to commit to a procurement decision, leaving the field open to competitors.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
However, he warned that the telecommunications industry is still downplaying the risk from satellite competitors, which in his view is a mistake.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
Last week, the competitors went on separate patrols in the same city.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
After proving himself somewhat skilled during practice, many of the other competitors had sought him out, but he still opted to keep to himself.
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
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.
