uncompetitive
adjective
un·com·pet·i·tive
ˌən-kəm-ˈpe-tə-tiv 
: not competitive : unable to compete
The only real alternative would be to protect those uncompetitive industries against foreign competition.—
Businessweek
BusinessweekGreene took his latest Courageous to Australia for the current race, but he says he withdrew it when it proved uncompetitive against other boats backed by fatter treasuries.—John Rousmaniere
John Rousmaniere
uncompetitiveness
noun
Examples of uncompetitive in a Sentence
As long as the school system keeps offering uncompetitive wages, people looking for jobs will apply elsewhere.
Recent Examples on the Web
Tanking’s Impact on Regular Season Basketball Utah’s 46-point margin of victory last Friday was particularly one-sided, but uncompetitive basketball was par for the course during the regular season.
—Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 17 Apr. 2026
After three uncompetitive losses, the chances of that promise holding true were bleak.
—Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
At moments like this, small businesses cannot afford an uncompetitive and unstable corporate tax environment.
—Blanche Lincoln, Boston Herald, 15 Apr. 2026
With oil and natural gas markets disrupted by the halt of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, basic chemicals — such as ethylene and propylene, which go into plastics — have become increasingly uncompetitive to produce in Europe.
—Marilen Martin, Bloomberg, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for uncompetitive
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Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 17 Apr. 2026
After three uncompetitive losses, the chances of that promise holding true were bleak.
—Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
At moments like this, small businesses cannot afford an uncompetitive and unstable corporate tax environment.
—Blanche Lincoln, Boston Herald, 15 Apr. 2026
With oil and natural gas markets disrupted by the halt of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, basic chemicals — such as ethylene and propylene, which go into plastics — have become increasingly uncompetitive to produce in Europe.
—Marilen Martin, Bloomberg, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for uncompetitive
Cite this Entry
“Uncompetitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uncompetitive. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
uncompetitive
adjective
un·com·pet·i·tive
ˌən-kəm-ˈpet-ət-iv
: not competitive : unable to compete
uncompetitiveness
noun
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