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
Hilton wants to restore California’s competitive edge as a place for productions by creating financial incentives for film productions, cover the initial and technical costs associated with the development of a film or television project and reserve funding for independent and mid-budget projects.
—
Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026
Only four or five states (with Arizona, Michigan, and Pennsylvania the clearest examples) combine competitive electorates with barriers that have so far resisted it.
—Bruce Sibley, Time, 29 May 2026
Owners say a cap is needed to improve competitive balance and restrain wealthy teams from assembling starrier rosters than their smaller-market brethren.
—Ronald Blum, Fortune, 29 May 2026
Looking at what the department could offer officers for competitive salaries and retirement is critical to retention, Carranza said.
—Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for competitive
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Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026
Only four or five states (with Arizona, Michigan, and Pennsylvania the clearest examples) combine competitive electorates with barriers that have so far resisted it.
—Bruce Sibley, Time, 29 May 2026
Owners say a cap is needed to improve competitive balance and restrain wealthy teams from assembling starrier rosters than their smaller-market brethren.
—Ronald Blum, Fortune, 29 May 2026
Looking at what the department could offer officers for competitive salaries and retirement is critical to retention, Carranza said.
—Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 29 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 2 Jun. 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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