competitive

adjective

com·​pet·​i·​tive kəm-ˈpe-tə-tiv How to pronounce competitive (audio)
Synonyms of competitive
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.
For the couple, Fan Fest provided the perfect competitive backdrop. Abby Dodge, CBS News, 20 June 2026 Any of those teams would give him an opportunity to contribute in a role in a competitive context right away. Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 June 2026 But a competitive second half could not offset one costly early-game letdown. Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 20 June 2026 With the North America market becoming saturated and increasingly competitive, international expansion is the logical next step for ReelShort, which already has around 70% of its traffic coming from outside North America, much of that from Latin America. Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 19 June 2026 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 22 Jun. 2026.

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

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