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

The job market moves quickly, and preparation is your competitive advantage. —Johnny C. Taylor Jr, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025

In short, there’s a competitive tension between democracy and technocracy. —Jamie Merisotis, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025

Israeli business culture is fiercely competitive, yet grounded in resilience. —Rchin Bari, Boston Herald, 10 Sep. 2025

In an interview with the Washington Examiner, Jenkins pushed back on the notion that Florida is no longer competitive. —Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 10 Sep. 2025

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