rival

1 of 3

noun

ri·​val ˈrī-vəl How to pronounce rival (audio)
1
a
: one of two or more striving to reach or obtain something that only one can possess
b
: one striving for competitive advantage
2
obsolete : companion, associate
3
: equal, peer

rival

2 of 3

adjective

: having the same pretensions or claims : competing

rival

3 of 3

verb

rivaled or rivalled; rivaling or rivalling ˈrīv-(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce rival (audio)

intransitive verb

: to act as a rival : compete

transitive verb

1
: to be in competition with
2
: to strive to equal or excel : emulate
3
: to possess qualities or aptitudes that approach or equal (those of another)

Did you know?

On Rivals, Rivaling, and Rivalry

The word rival most commonly refers to a person or group that tries to defeat or be more successful than another person or group, which means that rivals tend to come in pairs. Candidates running for the same political office are political rivals, and two people trying to earn the exclusive affection of a third are romantic rivals. Teams, schools, or companies might be longtime rivals if they try over many years to outdo each other.

Rival can also mean “equal” or “peer.” When the word is used in this way it's usually conveying how good or impressive something or someone is. For example, "a country musician the rival of any in the world" is as good as the best country musicians in the world. Often a negating word is added to assert superiority, as in "a country musician without rival."

As a verb, rival typically has a meaning that relates to this latter sense of the noun. The verb is most often used to say that someone or something possesses qualities or aptitudes that approach or equal those of another. For example, for one country musician to be rivaling another, the first country musician must be as good as or nearly as good as the other musician. (Note that in U.S. English, the verb's forms are usually spelled rivaled and rivaling; in British English rivalled and rivalling are preferred.)

The noun rivalry has to do with the state or situation in which rivals (usually in the “competitor” sense) exist, or in which rivaling happens. In politics we have political rivalries, and in matters of the heart there are romantic rivalries. Sibling rivalry exists when there is competition or jealousy between sisters or brothers.

Examples of rival in a Sentence

Noun The teams have been longtime rivals. The men are romantic rivals for her affection. Verb The company manufactures paper that rivals the world's best. The new museum will rival the largest in the world.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Sources say Amazon outbid at least one major streaming rival to make the deal with MrBeast, a.k.a. James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Mar. 2024 The three-day vote took place one month after the sudden death of Alexei Navalny, Putin’s most formidable political rival, in an Arctic prison colony. Francesca Ebel, Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2024 But the North didn't perform any missile tests during its rivals' training. Bradford Betz, Fox News, 18 Mar. 2024 Brick-and-mortar retailers have struggled as Americans have increasingly shifted their spending to online rivals such as Amazon.com. Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 18 Mar. 2024 Musk has been trying to drive up sales in China, the world’s largest auto market, by cutting prices and offering new incentives in the price war against rivals like BYD, which is backed by Warren Buffett. Quartz Staff, Quartz, 17 Mar. 2024 But even some of Mr. Netanyahu’s rivals appeared reluctant to seize on the comments while the country is focused on the war in Gaza. Aaron Boxerman, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2024 That growth rate outpaces all of TikTok's rivals, Gottfried said. Max Zahn, ABC News, 15 Mar. 2024 The Bay Area’s long-standing, outsized influence in state politics has boosted the careers of, among others, Kamala Harris, Gavin Newsom and Dianne Feinstein, all of whom prevailed over rivals from California’s more populous southern half. Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024
Adjective
The decision to release the code behind Grok touches on two issues important to Musk: The threat posed by AI and an ongoing battle with rival company OpenAI. Max Zahn, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2024 The announcement comes after rival company Boehringer Ingelheim announced earlier this month that the cost of its inhalers would also be capped at $35 for American consumers. Matt Novak / Gizmodo, Quartz, 19 Mar. 2024 The crisis in Haiti intensified early this month as rival gangs began wreaking coordinated havoc, security sources said. Colin McCullough, CNN, 18 Mar. 2024 The 27-nation bloc will also support the government in hosting Sudanese who have fled nearly a year of fighting between rival generals in their country. Samy Magdy, Fortune Europe, 17 Mar. 2024 Visions of the afterlife were quite common in early Christian history, such as the fourth-century Apocalypse of Paul, which describes a river of fire and vivid torments that rival Owen’s in their level of graphic detail. Lanta Davis and Vince Reighard, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Mar. 2024 Hundreds of branches at rival banks are being closed each year, and customers are shunning the teller and choosing the mobile app. David Benoit, WSJ, 13 Mar. 2024 During the past several years, Barbecue and rival gang leaders have outgunned the police—and, in some cases, co-opted them—and taken control of most of Port-au-Prince and several outlying districts. Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2024 Most entertaining was the dustup between Saquon Barkley, who is going from the Giants to the rival Philadelphia Eagles, and former Giants star running back Tiki Barber. Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024
Verb
The choice of Offenbach’s loony comedy about a pair of starving Peruvian artists and their manipulation by a powerful philandering viceroy was the recommendation of mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard — who sings the title role with disarming comedic chops to rival her formidable pipes. Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024 This year, the Chevy Riverfront Stage rivals Nissan Stadium for its ones-to-watch lineup. Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2024 Project Kuiper, an Amazon initiative, aims to rival Starlink with a 3,236-strong satellite constellation designed to provide low-latency broadband globally. Jean-François Morizur, Fortune Europe, 8 Mar. 2024 After a long day of hiking, visitors can return to town to find a restaurant-to-resident ratio that rivals major metros like New York City. Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2024 The Tuesday schedule also includes a fourth boys game this season between East Bay Athletic League rivals San Ramon Valley and Granada. Darren Sabedra, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2024 India's decade-plus run at home has rivalled all-conquering Australia's - arguably the greatest team of all time - record from their heyday of the 2000s. Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 First announced during Target’s earnings call on Tuesday, the new plan will rival similar offerings by Walmart and Amazon that axe shipping costs for an annual fee. Amrita Khalid, The Verge, 7 Mar. 2024 Tesla rivals Rivian, Lucid, and Fisker were riding high a few years ago. Steve Mollman, Fortune, 3 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rival.' 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

Noun

Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin rivalis one using the same stream as another, rival in love, from rivalis of a stream, from rivus stream — more at run

First Known Use

Noun

1577, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1592, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1607, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of rival was in 1577

Dictionary Entries Near rival

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

rival

1 of 3 noun
ri·​val ˈrī-vəl How to pronounce rival (audio)
1
a
: one of two or more trying to get what only one can have
2
: one that equals another : peer

rival

2 of 3 adjective
: of, relating to, or being a rival

rival

3 of 3 verb
rivaled or rivalled; rivaling or rivalling ˈrīv-(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce rival (audio)
1
: to be in competition with
2
: to be as good as or almost as good as
manufacture linens that rival the world's best
Etymology

Noun

from early French rival "rival," from Latin rivalis "one using the same stream as another, a rival in love," from rivalis (adjective) "of a stream," from rivus "stream"

Word Origin
The English word rival can be traced to the Latin word rivus, meaning "a stream." From rivus came the Latin rivalis, which meant "one who uses the same stream as another." Those who must share a stream may argue about who has the right to use the water. Such disputes are common when two people want the same thing. The Latin word rivalis in time came to be used for other people who are also likely to fight with each other. It meant "a man in love with the same woman as another man." This sense of rivalis came into English as rival.

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