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

On Friday night, the Sox traded former first-round pick Jacob Gonzalez to the Pittsburgh Pirates for a competitive-balance selection. — Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 12 July 2026

This year’s World Cup tournament is the biggest ever by definition, as FIFA expanded the competitive heat this time around to 48 teams, requiring a 104-game schedule. — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 11 July 2026

If not, Wembanyama and the Spurs will have a massive competitive advantage over just about every team outside of Oklahoma City and Houston. — Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026

National pest control companies typically offer a wide range of services, competitive pricing and coverage in most states. — Dan Simms, USA Today, 11 July 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