rivalry
Americannoun
-
rivalries
plural
-
the action, position, or relation of a rival or rivals; competition.
rivalry between Yale and Harvard.
- Synonyms:
- jealousy, antagonism, opposition
-
an instance of this.
noun
-
the act of rivalling; competition
-
the state of being a rival or rivals
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of rivalry
Explanation
Rivalry is the act of competing for the same thing against another person. Your rivalry with your older sister is amusing to the family but very annoying to her. Rivalry comes from the noun rival, the person you compete against. Often a rivalry starts when people want the same reward — and their talents are just about equal. Your rivalry for the lead in the play at the local theater isn't between you and George Clooney — it's between you and the other guy who also had a great audition.
Vocabulary lists containing rivalry
The Outsiders
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Olympics Vocabulary for Champions
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Content Summary 5.1: Causes of the Atlantic Revolutions
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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:
However, the pair's rivalry has been unable to reach the same heights and intensity.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
The rapper, who was just 25 when he died, was a key figure in a hip-hop rivalry pitting the East Coast against the West Coast.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
The rapper, who died at age 25, was a key figure in a hip-hop rivalry pitting the East Coast against the West Coast.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
His rivalry with Mr. Alcaraz has given fans some of the more memorable recent battles in men’s tennis.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
In his letter, Howard pointed to what he thought was the motivation behind the attack on his integrity: the rivalry with War Admiral.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
He attributed the rift to a number of things, including his parents’ religious beliefs, sibling rivalries and his family’s reaction to his fame.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Hormuz and a handful of maritime straits around the world have served as the linchpin of global trade since the 16th century and have fuelled geopolitical rivalries throughout history.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
In general, however, this World Cup was a feast of high-stakes athleticism and tribalism that really only gets matched in this country by the best college football rivalries and maybe March Madness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
The former 87-cap fly-half described the game as one of the "big rivalries" for his side, but not because of any off-field altercations.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
A famine caused by an inadequate Nile flood in 245 aggravated native resentment against the Greek monarchy and the burdensome cost of its imperial rivalries.
From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro
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.
