competitive

adjective

com·​pet·​i·​tive kəm-ˈpe-tə-tiv How to pronounce competitive (audio)
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 Companies that want to stream games to customers have to load each individual game to the app store, which prevents companies from marketing and selling potentially powerful and popular competitive technology to customers. David Goldman, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024 Carpenter said that the Senate version would keep Georgia competitive with other states and countries, and safeguard the state’s place as a premiere filming destination. Gene Maddaus, Variety, 21 Mar. 2024 Why Trust Travel + Leisure has been testing, reviewing, and writing about fashion and fitness for nearly a decade and is a former competitive swimmer. Marisa Petrarca, Travel + Leisure, 20 Mar. 2024 In competitive sports, the unhatched chicken is never, never to be counted. Neal B. Freeman, National Review, 20 Mar. 2024 In a fiercely competitive primary, Moreno's appeal as an outsider struck a chord with voters, portraying him as someone poised to challenge the norms of Washington. Jeremy Yurow, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2024 After all, the United States is blessed with raw talent, a restless drive to innovate, and a fiercely competitive spirit. Pat Gelsinger, Fortune, 20 Mar. 2024 Fans can also step into the iconic Castle Grayskull fortress from Masters of the Universe and show off their competitive side with a game of laser tag. Natalia Senanayake, Peoplemag, 20 Mar. 2024 But facing these challenges now by delivering trustworthy products that behave in line with your values will lay the groundwork for building lasting competitive advantage. François Candelon, Fortune, 8 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'competitive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see competition

First Known Use

1829, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of competitive was in 1829

Dictionary Entries Near competitive

Cite this Entry

“Competitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/competitive. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

competitive

adjective
com·​pet·​i·​tive kəm-ˈpet-ət-iv How to pronounce competitive (audio)
: 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 How to pronounce competitive (audio)
: depending for effectiveness on the relative concentration of two or more substances
competitive inhibition of an enzyme
competitive protein binding
competitively adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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