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:
Once the envy of China's tech scene, the startup behind the artificial intelligence agent tool Manus has become an example of how rivalry between global powers can ensnare young entrepreneurs' ambitions.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 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
USC coach Lincoln Riley said he is glad to have the Trojans’ annual rivalry game with Notre Dame back without compromising the Trojans’ biggest need.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
Tyla has found herself at the centre of rivalry between the two countries before.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
Their musical rivalry seems not to have damaged the relation-ship between Chris and Carine, however.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
"There have been so many rivalries over the last couple of years. I have only been in this game for five years, hopefully I've got another 10 in me," said 24-year-old Hodgkinson.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
It’s easy to forget that China’s present economic travails and diplomatic and strategic rivalries weren’t inevitable.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 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
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
And, as happened at the Christmas party, enslaved people sometimes fought, committed crimes, and had rivalries and disputes in the societies they created.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
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.
