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
This competitive edge—including its blue and white-collar contributions—is also only possible because of the complete ecosystem that Geneva offers for this industry.
—
Peter Vanham, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025
But Tesla has recently been discounting in the highly competitive Chinese market as well.
—Rebecca A. Fannin, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
Girls and Their Horses Author Eliza Jane Brazier's 2023 book about the competitive world of showjumping is getting the TV treatment for Prime Video.
—Benjamin Vanhoose, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025
The Kings have had competitive rosters and are a chore to play against on most nights.
—Eric Stephens, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for competitive
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Peter Vanham, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025
But Tesla has recently been discounting in the highly competitive Chinese market as well.
—Rebecca A. Fannin, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
Girls and Their Horses Author Eliza Jane Brazier's 2023 book about the competitive world of showjumping is getting the TV treatment for Prime Video.
—Benjamin Vanhoose, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025
The Kings have had competitive rosters and are a chore to play against on most nights.
—Eric Stephens, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for competitive
Cite this Entry
“Competitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/competitive. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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