uncompetitive

adjective

un·​com·​pet·​i·​tive ˌən-kəm-ˈpe-tə-tiv 

: not competitive : unable to compete

The only real alternative would be to protect those uncompetitive industries against foreign competition.

—Businessweek

Greene took his latest Courageous to Australia for the current race, but he says he withdrew it when it proved uncompetitive against other boats backed by fatter treasuries.

—John Rousmaniere

uncompetitiveness noun

Examples of uncompetitive in a Sentence

As long as the school system keeps offering uncompetitive wages, people looking for jobs will apply elsewhere.

Recent Examples on the Web

Or when Cohen helmed perennially uncompetitive Hinkley to a 5-5 mark in 2013, achieving a rare non-losing season for the Thunder before getting mercy-ruled by Columbine in the opening round of the Class 5A playoffs. — Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 3 Oct. 2026

Van Aert’s victory extends his lead over Brennan to 65 points in the uncompetitive green jersey contest, with his only realistic rival, Lidl-Trek’s Mads Pedersen, withdrawing from the race earlier this week. — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

The company returned to top-level endurance racing in 1982 with the C100 during the early days of the Group C regulations, but the car was uncompetitive and unreliable, and the program soon ended. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 2026

Further, about half of the turnover in California’s public safety workforce is due to retirement, not employees leaving due to uncompetitive pay. — The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 18 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for uncompetitive

• noncompetitive
• anticompetitive
• appetitive
• competitive
• repetitive

Kids Definition

uncompetitive

adjective

un·​com·​pet·​i·​tive ˌən-kəm-ˈpet-ət-iv 

: not competitive : unable to compete

uncompetitiveness noun