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
Larger farms tend to be more competitive and depend on large, expensive machinery.
—
ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
The South Korean entertainment conglomerate JYP Entertainment — which handles all aspects of its artists’ careers, acting as everything from a record label to a concert production company — created Twice, using a 2015 competitive reality TV series to choose the lineup.
—Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 13 Apr. 2026
In a competitive situation, 20th Century has picked up theatrical film rights to the popular game 99 Nights in the Forest, developed by Grandma’s Favourite Games and hosted on Roblox.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 13 Apr. 2026
Fifth starters Stephen Kolek and Ryan Bergert provided competitive work before being traded for starting catcher Freddy Fermin.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for competitive
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ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
The South Korean entertainment conglomerate JYP Entertainment — which handles all aspects of its artists’ careers, acting as everything from a record label to a concert production company — created Twice, using a 2015 competitive reality TV series to choose the lineup.
—Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 13 Apr. 2026
In a competitive situation, 20th Century has picked up theatrical film rights to the popular game 99 Nights in the Forest, developed by Grandma’s Favourite Games and hosted on Roblox.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 13 Apr. 2026
Fifth starters Stephen Kolek and Ryan Bergert provided competitive work before being traded for starting catcher Freddy Fermin.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 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 14 Apr. 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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