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
Meanwhile, the rest of the NBA is widely expected to be more competitive next season — from the bottom tier, where anti-tanking regulations and a weaker draft class should curb teams’ intentional losing, to the upper echelons, where Oklahoma City and San Antonio stand tall.
—
Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
Altogether, the maturation of WNBA front offices has turned them into a competitive place for career development within the sports industry.
—Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 8 May 2026
That was the story in North Carolina, where Republicans flipped key state court seats in 2022, then used their new majority to undo a competitive map.
—Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 8 May 2026
The competitive selection process began roughly a decade ago, Yamamoto said.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for competitive
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Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
Altogether, the maturation of WNBA front offices has turned them into a competitive place for career development within the sports industry.
—Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 8 May 2026
That was the story in North Carolina, where Republicans flipped key state court seats in 2022, then used their new majority to undo a competitive map.
—Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 8 May 2026
The competitive selection process began roughly a decade ago, Yamamoto said.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for competitive
Cite this Entry
“Competitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/competitive. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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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