Dictionary.com

Popular Searches

 Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

rivalry

American  
[rahy-vuhl-ree] / ˈraɪ vəl ri /

noun

plural

rivalries

  1. the action, position, or relation of a rival or rivals; competition.

    rivalry between Yale and Harvard.
    Synonyms:
    jealousy, antagonism, opposition

  2. an instance of this.

rivalry British  
/ ˈraɪvəlrɪ /

noun

  1. the act of rivalling; competition

  2. the state of being a rival or rivals

"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

Other Word Forms

  • rivalrous adjective

Etymology

Origin of rivalry

First recorded in 1590–1600; rival + -ry

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.

Still, he compared their rivalry to the type of familial infighting that is often ultimately resolved.

From The Wall Street Journal

He is the world number one, has seven major titles to his name and is one half of a potentially era-defining rivalry.

From BBC

Heritage Christian 72, Valley Christian 34: Freshman Ty Lazenby had 20 points to set up a showdown Saturday in a rivalry game at Village Christian.

From Los Angeles Times

Here's a look back at four memorable moments in their rivalry.

From Barron's

Mr. Jensen, himself a native of western Nebraska, writes insightfully about the intimacies, frustrations and rivalries of such a place.

From The Wall Street Journal

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.