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

Uruguay, a traditional South American competitor that entered the World Cup ranked in the international top 20, would be the heavy favorite over Cape Verde, an African island nation with fewer than half a million citizens that was also making its first-ever appearance in the World Cup. —Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 20 June 2026

The vast majority seem to be about industry titan StubHub, but people who bought through competitors such as SeatGeek and Vivid Seats have also reported issues. —R.j. Rico, Fortune, 20 June 2026

Most of its competitors now have hybrid versions or are hybrids by default. —New Atlas, 20 June 2026

The Space Force keeps assigning launches to SpaceX that its only competitor cannot do. —Gautam Mukunda, Mercury News, 20 June 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