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

Calvert — who has represented parts of the Inland Empire for more than three decades — narrowly staved off Rollins last cycle in a race that was far more competitive than expected. —Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2024

None of the college experts interviewed this week by the Bay Area News Group have any doubt that Bennett will keep the Gaels competitive moving forward. —Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 26 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see competition

First Known Use

1829, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing competitive

• hyper-competitive

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