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

• 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

There are other competitors in this field, including Boston Dynamics. —Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025

What really sets Four Seasons apart from many of its competitors in the Boise area is a focus on dishes from Northern China. —Michael Deeds july 7, Idaho Statesman, 7 July 2025

One of Coursera’s biggest competitors, 2U (which also owns edX), filed for bankruptcy last year and became a private company. —Brit Morse, Fortune, 6 July 2025

Despite the animosity between the two franchises, one star player managed to give his competitor their flowers. —Kevin McCormick, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 July 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