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

Trump singled Vance out of a competitive race for Ohio Senate, endorsing him in the 2022 midterm elections. —Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2024

End of carousel This midseason showcase had a spicy feel and a competitive nature typically missing in these sorts of games. —Kareem Copeland, Washington Post, 21 July 2024

Across Malaysia, Penang captures about 50% of all medical tourism dollars thanks to competitive [pricing] and good reviews. —Charlie Campbell, TIME, 21 July 2024

Unlike traditional sports like football or basketball, which most people in the U.S. learn to play at a young age, the familiarity with many games at the competitive level doesn’t register with casual viewers. —Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 20 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

see competition

First Known Use

1829, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing competitive

• hyper-competitive

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