rivalry
noun
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On Rivals, Rivaling, and Rivalry
The word rival most commonly refers to a person or group that tries to defeat or be more successful than another person or group, which means that rivals tend to come in pairs. Candidates running for the same political office are political rivals, and two people trying to earn the exclusive affection of a third are romantic rivals. Teams, schools, or companies might be longtime rivals if they try over many years to outdo each other.
Rival can also mean “equal” or “peer.” When the word is used in this way it's usually conveying how good or impressive something or someone is. For example, "a country musician the rival of any in the world" is as good as the best country musicians in the world. Often a negating word is added to assert superiority, as in "a country musician without rival."
As a verb, rival typically has a meaning that relates to this latter sense of the noun. The verb is most often used to say that someone or something possesses qualities or aptitudes that approach or equal those of another. For example, for one country musician to be rivaling another, the first country musician must be as good as or nearly as good as the other musician. (Note that in U.S. English, the verb's forms are usually spelled rivaled and rivaling; in British English rivalled and rivalling are preferred.)
The noun rivalry has to do with the state or situation in which rivals (usually in the “competitor” sense) exist, or in which rivaling happens. In politics we have political rivalries, and in matters of the heart there are romantic rivalries. Sibling rivalry exists when there is competition or jealousy between sisters or brothers.
Synonyms
Examples of rivalry in a Sentence
Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 26 Apr. 2024
But the growing great-power rivalry that threatens global peace and prosperity also creates the space for small and middle powers to build influence and thrive.
—Shivshankar Menon, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
The Dodgers drafted White when Farhan Zaidi was the general manager in Los Angeles, and Giants fans may remember White from his time on the other side of the rivalry, serving as a thorn in the Giants’ side in five appearances — one start — before being dealt to Toronto at the 2022 trade deadline.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2024
One of the oldest rivalries in sports takes to the soccer pitch Sunday as Real Madrid hosts FC Barcelona for the 2024 El Clásico game.
—Tim Chan, Variety, 20 Apr. 2024
There’s been some lighthearted rivalry between MrBeast and T-Series since then, with the former vowing to take the top spot in PewDiePie’s honor.
—Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 18 Apr. 2024
One driver of investors’ concern—and a potential threat to ASML’s business going forward—is ASML’s position in the middle of the ongoing rivalry between the U.S., Europe, and China for dominance in semiconductor production.
—Dylan Sloan, Fortune, 18 Apr. 2024
Now, Malaysia’s government is signaling its intent to move away from the low-end of the chip supply chain—and the tech rivalry between the U.S. and China could help the Southeast Asian country stand out.
—Lionel Lim, Fortune Asia, 18 Apr. 2024
Now, the long and fiery Comets-Wave rivalry will be reignited in the conference finals.
—Nathan Dunn, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rivalry.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Rivalry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rivalry. Accessed 1 May. 2024.
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