competitor

noun

com·​pet·​i·​tor kəm-ˈpe-tə-tər 

: one that competes: such as

a

: rival

a fierce competitor on the soccer field

b

: one selling or buying goods or services in the same market as another

offering lower prices than our competitors

c

: an organism that lives in competition with another

The squid population increased dramatically when food competitors were depleted by heavy overfishing.

Synonyms of competitor

• contestant
• contender
• rival
• challenger

Examples of competitor in a Sentence

We offer better rates than our competitors.

There were more than 500 competitors in the race.

Recent Examples on the Web

In the final, which pitted corgis against each other over 25 meters (82 feet), the winner was American competitor GG, short for Gustave the Girl Dog. — ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026

Slowing demand for electric vehicles, lost market share to Chinese competitors and higher borrowing costs have created the perfect storm over the past five years, as sales volumes continue to slump well below pre-pandemic levels. — Joseph Wilkins, CNBC, 16 Aug. 2026

This extended to her closest competitors in the Tour, after Niewiadoma-Phinney accused Vollering’s teammate Célia Gery of boxing her in during the crucial penultimate stage. — Jessica Hopkins, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026

Export controls on chips and AI systems, such as the brief ban on overseas access to Anthropic’s Fable 5 model this summer, don’t appear to be putting the brakes on Chinese competitors. — Saritha Rai, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see competition

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

competitor

noun

com·​pet·​i·​tor kəm-ˈpet-ət-ər 

: one that competes especially in the selling of goods or services : rival