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

The race opened as one of the most competitive Senate races in the nation, with expectations about exorbitant spending. — David Raynor, Charlotte Observer, 4 Nov. 2026

Marshall coasted to Washington with a more than 11-percentage-point margin of victory in 2020, despite some predictions for a more competitive race. — Grace Hills, NPR, 4 Nov. 2026

And Barrera acknowledged that CTA independent spending in the primary had pushed him to the front of a crowded field of competitive Democratic contenders. — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026

Congressional District, a stretch of the southern San Joaquin Valley that is home to one of the country’s most competitive House races. — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see competition

First Known Use

1829, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing competitive

• hyper-competitive

Rhymes for competitive

• appetitive
• repetitive
• anticompetitive
• noncompetitive
• uncompetitive

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