competitor

noun

com·​pet·​i·​tor kəm-ˈpe-tə-tər 

: one that competes: such as

a

: rival

a fierce competitor on the soccer field

b

: one selling or buying goods or services in the same market as another

offering lower prices than our competitors

c

: an organism that lives in competition with another

The squid population increased dramatically when food competitors were depleted by heavy overfishing.

Synonyms of competitor

• contestant
• contender
• rival
• challenger

Examples of competitor in a Sentence

We offer better rates than our competitors.

There were more than 500 competitors in the race.

Recent Examples on the Web

Commercial strategy and national influence are intertwined, and America’s competitors act on that reality every day. — David Bohigian, Fortune, 19 July 2026

The carrier is flying about 6,500 flights per day this year — nearly an entire Alaska Airlines more worth of travel more than its closest competitor, according to Cirium — yet American’s profit gap has grown. — Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 19 July 2026

Griffin and his wife, pioneering architect Marion Mahony, who had both started their careers at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Oak Park Studio, had beaten 136 competitors to design a new capital city for Australia. — Natalie Hoberman, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026

However, Kay-Jelski was eager not to get sucked into any debate about rival competitors. — Tom Burrows, New York Times, 18 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

see competition

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

competitor

noun

com·​pet·​i·​tor kəm-ˈpet-ət-ər 

: one that competes especially in the selling of goods or services : rival