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

Deadline can reveal that the Line of Duty showrunner is spearheading a bid to produce Doctor Who after the BBC launched a competitive tender, a bake-off-style process in which producers have put forward plans to regenerate the iconic sci-fi series. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026

Questions remain over how the Premier League could create competitive balance, given the vast differences in spending ability between its biggest clubs and smaller challengers. — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 7 Oct. 2026

Now Ricketts is running for his first full six-year term against independent Dan Osborn -- a race that initially was not expected to be competitive but is now being watched by the national parties. — Nicholas Ingram, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026

Whether Apple is actually preparing that product is besides the point, Luria added that just the possibility shows how limited Oura’s competitive position could be against a company that controls the entire iPhone ecosystem. — Morgan Chittum, Fortune, 6 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see competition

First Known Use

1829, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing competitive

• hyper-competitive

Rhymes for competitive

• appetitive
• repetitive
• anticompetitive
• noncompetitive
• uncompetitive

Kids 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