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

For decades, Nike and its competitors were unable to sign comprehensive sponsorship deals with athletes. —Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 11 Dec. 2025

The ability to mimic the texture and performance of trad-gen leather proteins sets the material apart from competitors that rely on carbohydrate-heavy inputs, such as mycelium and apple skin. —Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 11 Dec. 2025

OpenAI’s competitors have put pressure on the American modern chatbot pioneer to up its ante this fall. —Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 11 Dec. 2025

OpenAI is privately held but competitors, like Google and Anthropic, are quickly catching up to ChatGPT’s power. —Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 11 Dec. 2025

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