competition

noun

com·​pe·​ti·​tion ˌkäm-pə-ˈti-shən How to pronounce competition (audio)
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent polling shows Mamdani leading the crowded pack of candidates, with former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo as his strongest competition. Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025 Enjoy local food, live music, competitions and more. Grace Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer, 3 Sep. 2025 Google has been facing rising competition to its core search business from the likes of Perplexity and OpenAI. Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2025 Hawks in Congress frequently point to competition with China and a need to establish US supremacy in space technology as urgent considerations. Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for competition

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of competition was in 1579

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Competition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/competition. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

competition

noun
com·​pe·​ti·​tion ˌkäm-pə-ˈtish-ən How to pronounce competition (audio)
1
: the act or process of competing
2
a
: a contest between rivals
b
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

More from Merriam-Webster on competition

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