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rivalry

[rahy-vuhl-ree]
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR rivalry ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural ri·val·ries.

the action, position, or relation of a rival or rivals; competition: rivalry between Yale and Harvard.
an instance of this.

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RELATED WORDS

fight, duel, clash, antagonism, contest, jealousy, strife, race, struggle, encounter, event, conflict, tug-of-war, matchup, sport, engagement, tournament, game, emulation, opposition

Nearby words

  1. ritzy,
  2. riv.,
  3. rivage,
  4. rival,
  5. rivalrous,
  6. rivals, the,
  7. rive,
  8. rivel,
  9. riven,
  10. river

Origin of rivalry

First recorded in 1590–1600; rival + -ry
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for rivalry

British Dictionary definitions for rivalry

rivalry

noun plural -ries

the act of rivalling; competition
the state of being a rival or rivals
Derived Formsrivalrous, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for rivalry

rivalry

n.

1590s; from rival + -ry. Shakespeare has rivality ("Antony and Cleopatra"), but from the secondary sense of the root word and meaning "partnership, equality in rank."

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Medicine definitions for rivalry

rivalry

[rī′vəl-rē]

n.

The state or condition of competition or antagonism.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.