competitive

adjective

com·​pet·​i·​tive kəm-ˈpe-tə-tiv How to pronounce competitive (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Yet three years before Enzo joined the competitive fray under his own surname, the Maserati brothers banded together to enter their Tipo 26 in the 1926 Targa Florio endurance test. Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 19 May 2025 While the security threat to Americans and others is open to debate, its competitive threat to Google and Android in particular is not. Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025 Trading him now would give them young prospects to remain competitive for years to come. Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025 Seattle still got the best performance of rookie Logan Evan’s big-league career, a competitive outing from Emerson Hancock and his inflated ERA, and seven mostly dominant innings from Bryan Woo, one of the more talented pitchers in the majors. Dennis Lin, New York Times, 19 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for competitive

Word History

Etymology

see competition

First Known Use

1829, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of competitive was in 1829

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Competitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/competitive. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

competitive

adjective
com·​pet·​i·​tive kəm-ˈpet-ət-iv How to pronounce competitive (audio)
: 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 How to pronounce competitive (audio)
: depending for effectiveness on the relative concentration of two or more substances
competitive inhibition of an enzyme
competitive protein binding
competitively adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on competitive

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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