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
Republicans punching above their weight Republican candidates, meanwhile, are remaining competitive despite far lower spending.
—
Grace Hase, Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2026
That said, Chelsea did remain competitive and relatively organised, certainly more so than in many of the other games this season in which they have been reduced to 10 men.
—Cerys Jones, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Far from corporate greed or anticompetitive behavior, competitive discounts driven by volume and supply chain efficiencies fuel free markets, helping families save money on groceries, appliances, TVs, cellphones, computers and cars.
—Stephen Moore, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
The contracts are under $250,000 and require MnDOT to seek just two quotes, simplifying the normal competitive bidding process that might otherwise shut out many small shops.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for competitive
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Grace Hase, Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2026
That said, Chelsea did remain competitive and relatively organised, certainly more so than in many of the other games this season in which they have been reduced to 10 men.
—Cerys Jones, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Far from corporate greed or anticompetitive behavior, competitive discounts driven by volume and supply chain efficiencies fuel free markets, helping families save money on groceries, appliances, TVs, cellphones, computers and cars.
—Stephen Moore, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
The contracts are under $250,000 and require MnDOT to seek just two quotes, simplifying the normal competitive bidding process that might otherwise shut out many small shops.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 24 Apr. 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 25 Apr. 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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