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

That capital-light strategy has become a competitive advantage with investors, who have rewarded Apple for improving its AI offerings through partnerships with Alphabet . — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 1 Aug. 2026

Margo’s dramatic angst no longer feels like a play for competitive advantage. — Joe Reid, Vulture, 1 Aug. 2026

True cultural fluency, rooted in historical awareness and community investment, is seen as a vital competitive advantage, far outweighing superficial marketing or high THC numbers for long-term resilience and market leadership. — Peter Su, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

While the Raiders are still a rebuilding team and have other questions to answer, being elite against the run would ensure every game is competitive. — Sam Warren, New York Times, 1 Aug. 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