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

The move to keep its doors shut follows suit among its competitors, such as Family Dollar, Dollar Tree, Target and Walmart. —Audrey Schmidt, PEOPLE, 25 Dec. 2025

So what makes a competitor a rival? —Jared Weiss, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2025

The investment by the world’s most valuable company and a key designer of chips for the artificial intelligence boom was seen as a boost for Intel, which has struggled to stem losses and catch competitors that have surpassed it in recent years. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 24 Dec. 2025

Other prestige brands are working directly with the retailer, including Madison Reed hair color, which launched in Walmart in August 2023 with its price point of $34 a box, almost three times the price of mass competitors like L’Oréal Paris and Clairol. —Jenny B. Fine, Footwear News, 23 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