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

Having been signed in January, and impressed in pre-season, complications with his registration meant he was set to be blocked from featuring in competitive games until his 18th birthday in January 2027. — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026

Reflecting on her shift away from competitive team sports, the football heiress emphasized how physical activity shaped her self-image and mental resilience. — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2026

Some Democrats hope that these moderate independents will draw enough crossover support from Republicans and centrist voters who would never back a Democrat to make the races competitive. — Ben Binday, Washington Post, 15 Aug. 2026

Its arrival marks the singer’s milestone twenty-fifth top 10 hit on the competitive songs roster. — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 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