competitive

adjective

com·​pet·​i·​tive kəm-ˈpe-tə-tiv 

1

: relating to, characterized by, or based on competition

competitive sports

a competitive marketplace

2

: inclined, desiring, or suited to compete

a competitive personality

competitive interest rates

3

: depending for effectiveness on the relative concentration of two or more substances

competitive inhibition of an enzyme

competitively adverb

competitiveness noun

Examples of competitive in a Sentence

She is a very competitive player.

You need a degree to be competitive in today's job market.

Recent Examples on the Web

After making structural changes over the past several months, Speraw says USA Volleyball is already beginning to see encouraging competitive results, particularly on the men's side. — Tim Genske, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026

The goal is to make domestic manufacturers more competitive with inexpensive Chinese importers. — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 8 Aug. 2026

But looking ahead, the 60-year-old believes artificial intelligence will be the next major competitive advantage, not just for companies but for workers willing to embrace it. — Preston Fore, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026

On one of the most competitive retail blocks in the world, the brands making the biggest architectural statements right now are doing it with temporary structures. — Lauren Sinclair, Curbed, 7 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see competition

First Known Use

1829, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing competitive

• hyper-competitive

Rhymes for competitive

• appetitive
• repetitive
• anticompetitive
• noncompetitive
• uncompetitive

Kids Definition

competitive

adjective

com·​pet·​i·​tive kəm-ˈpet-ət-iv 

: relating to, characterized by, or based on competition

competitive sports

competitive bidding

competitively adverb

competitiveness noun

Medical Definition

competitive

adjective

com·​pet·​i·​tive kəm-ˈpet-ət-iv 

: depending for effectiveness on the relative concentration of two or more substances

competitive inhibition of an enzyme

competitive protein binding

competitively adverb