competition

noun

com·​pe·​ti·​tion ˌkäm-pə-ˈti-shən 

1

: the act or process of competing : rivalry: such as

a

: the effort of two or more parties acting independently to secure the business of a third party by offering the most favorable terms

contractors in competition for the contract to build the new school

b

: active demand by two or more organisms or kinds of organisms for some environmental resource in short supply

the interspecies competition for food

2

: a contest between rivals

a gymnastics competition

also : one's competitors

faced tough competition

Synonyms

• bout
• contest
• event
• game
• match
• matchup
• meet
• sweepstakes
• sweep-stake
• tournament
• tourney

Examples of competition in a Sentence

Prices are lower when there is competition among the stores.

Don't let the competition know our trade secrets.

They had a competition to see who could sell the most lemonade.

Recent Examples on the Web

That suggests OpenAI will see more intense competition next year. —Will Knight, WIRED, 28 Nov. 2023

Annual shop-price inflation in the U.K. decelerated further in early November on the back of lower energy prices while retailer competition ahead of Christmas is helping to push prices down, a report by NielsenIQ and the British Retail Consortium showed on Tuesday. —Michael Susin, WSJ, 28 Nov. 2023

Like in other competition shows, the contestants race against the clock (and each other) to complete high-stress hairstyling challenges like a haircut makeover, styling children’s hair, and a total color transformation. —Annie Blay, Allure, 28 Nov. 2023

The buzz surrounding MediaTek casts a spotlight on growing competition between semiconductor firms that are exploiting the use of AI to grab a larger share of the smartphone business. —Charlotte Yang, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2023

Teaming with fest Shorts Mexico, Latin America’s biggest shorts event, Ventana Sur will bow a new competition, Show Shorts, sourcing 22 titles from Latin America, Spain and Portugal. —John Hopewell, Variety, 27 Nov. 2023

In a race full of arthouse fare, Purple’s only competition in the accessible lane is Barbie, and there’s definitely room for two. —Vulture, 24 Nov. 2023

Napoleon’s bravado and military cunning are juxtaposed with personal quirks seen in his marital competition with Empress Josephine (Vanessa Kirby). —Armond White, National Review, 24 Nov. 2023

Idealists nonetheless view the biennial resolution as a hopeful gesture promoting global harmony through the universal language of athletic competition. —Andrew Keh, New York Times, 23 Nov. 2023

See More

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin competition-, competitio, from Latin competere — see compete

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing competition

• in competition with
• the competition

• in competition with
• the competition

Kids Definition

competition

noun

com·​pe·​ti·​tion ˌkäm-pə-ˈtish-ən 

1

: the act or process of competing

2

a

: a contest between rivals

b

: rivalry

c

: an individual or group one is competing against

look over the competition

3

: the effort of persons or firms to attract business by offering the most favorable terms

4

: the active seeking after and use of an environmental resource (as food) in limited supply by two or more plants or animals or kinds of plants and animals