competitive
adjective
com·pet·i·tive
kəm-ˈpe-tə-tiv 
1
: relating to, characterized by, or based on competition
competitive sports
a competitive marketplace
2
: inclined, desiring, or suited to compete
a competitive personality
competitive interest rates
3
: depending for effectiveness on the relative concentration of two or more substances
competitive inhibition of an enzyme
competitively
adverb
competitiveness
noun
Examples of competitive in a Sentence
She is a very competitive player.
You need a degree to be competitive in today's job market.
Recent Examples on the Web
His first seven pitches were balls, most of them not even competitive pitches.
—
Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 31 Mar. 2026
Despite injuries hitting various members of the Lakers, the team has also been rolling along in a competitive Western Conference, remaining third behind the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
But the competitive juices he’s known for remain flowing, as his 23XI Racing team sits atop the 2026 NASCAR Cup standings thanks to the four wins Tyler Reddick has already put through in seven starts.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 30 Mar. 2026
That choice led to Business of Luxury, a platform designed to shed light on the road into one of the most competitive industries in the world.
—William Jones, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for competitive
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.
Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 31 Mar. 2026
Despite injuries hitting various members of the Lakers, the team has also been rolling along in a competitive Western Conference, remaining third behind the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
But the competitive juices he’s known for remain flowing, as his 23XI Racing team sits atop the 2026 NASCAR Cup standings thanks to the four wins Tyler Reddick has already put through in seven starts.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 30 Mar. 2026
That choice led to Business of Luxury, a platform designed to shed light on the road into one of the most competitive industries in the world.
—William Jones, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for competitive
Cite this Entry
“Competitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/competitive. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
competitive
adjective
com·pet·i·tive
kəm-ˈpet-ət-iv
: relating to, characterized by, or based on competition
competitive sports
competitive bidding
competitively
adverb
competitiveness
noun
Medical Definition
competitive
adjective
com·pet·i·tive
kəm-ˈpet-ət-iv
: depending for effectiveness on the relative concentration of two or more substances
competitive inhibition of an enzyme
competitive protein binding
competitively
adverb
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
