competition

noun

com·​pe·​ti·​tion ˌkäm-pə-ˈti-shən How to pronounce competition (audio)
1
: the act or process of competing : rivalry: such as
a
: the effort of two or more parties acting independently to secure the business of a third party by offering the most favorable terms
contractors in competition for the contract to build the new school
b
: active demand by two or more organisms or kinds of organisms for some environmental resource in short supply
the interspecies competition for food
2
: a contest between rivals
a gymnastics competition
also : one's competitors
faced tough competition

Examples of competition in a Sentence

Prices are lower when there is competition among the stores. Don't let the competition know our trade secrets. They had a competition to see who could sell the most lemonade.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Their manager, Sarina Wiegman, has an extraordinary record in this competition, having won it with both the Netherlands and England. Darren Richman, New York Times, 5 July 2025 After beginning his Team Penske career in 2007 as a sports car tire specialist, Law rose through the ranks to become a championship-winning chief mechanic in the IndyCar Series before enjoying the same success in sports car competition. Bruce Martin, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025 The Fourth of July competition is the Super Bowl of eating events, and after being away for a year, Chestnut is ready to make his return to glory. Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 July 2025 Similar to Chestnut, Kobayashi was banned from competing in the Nathan’s competition due to a contract dispute in 2010. Elise Hammond, CNN Money, 4 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for competition

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin competition-, competitio, from Latin competere — see compete

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of competition was in 1579

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Competition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/competition. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

competition

noun
com·​pe·​ti·​tion ˌkäm-pə-ˈtish-ən How to pronounce competition (audio)
1
: the act or process of competing
2
a
: a contest between rivals
b
c
: an individual or group one is competing against
look over the competition
3
: the effort of persons or firms to attract business by offering the most favorable terms
4
: the active seeking after and use of an environmental resource (as food) in limited supply by two or more plants or animals or kinds of plants and animals

More from Merriam-Webster on competition

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!