competitive

adjective

com·​pet·​i·​tive kəm-ˈpe-tə-tiv How to pronounce competitive (audio)
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
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.
Another big sales behemoth, Walmart also does quite a bit to maintain discounts competitive with Prime Day deals across all categories. Melissa Knific, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 Oct. 2025 While speaking with Rolling Stone, the 52-year-old was asked about a segment of the public using his group’s successful casino bid as the latest measuring stick in the competitive rivalry that has long defined his relationship with Hov. Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 8 Oct. 2025 Among independents, his approval stood at 66 percent, with only 20 percent disapproving—a key advantage in one of the nation’s most competitive swing states. Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025 Public officials of all kinds like to focus on adding manufacturing jobs to our local economies, but in the case of data centers, the competition for outstanding talent means that even junior technicians tend to receive more competitive compensation compared to similar roles in manufacturing. Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for competitive

Word History

Etymology

see competition

First Known Use

1829, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of competitive was in 1829

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Competitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/competitive. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

competitive

adjective
com·​pet·​i·​tive kəm-ˈpet-ət-iv How to pronounce competitive (audio)
: 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 How to pronounce competitive (audio)
: depending for effectiveness on the relative concentration of two or more substances
competitive inhibition of an enzyme
competitive protein binding
competitively adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on competitive

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!