uncompetitive

adjective

un·​com·​pet·​i·​tive ˌən-kəm-ˈpe-tə-tiv How to pronounce uncompetitive (audio)
: not competitive : unable to compete
The only real alternative would be to protect those uncompetitive industries against foreign competition.Business Week
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Chinese officials said the new rates effectively render U.S. goods uncompetitive — and that any further tariff increases from Washington would be treated as economically irrelevant. Catherine Baab, Quartz, 11 Apr. 2025 Except for Democratic primaries, the relatively uncompetitive nature of our politics means politicians compete to outdo one another in support of causes popular with Maryland’s relatively liberal electorate. Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 23 Mar. 2025 One was their head-to-head matchup, which UCLA won 77-62 in November, and the other was South Carolina’s blowout loss to UConn in mid-February, a demerit in the committee’s mind for being an uncompetitive loss. Ben Pickman, The Athletic, 17 Mar. 2025 Weak leaders impose tariffs to protect uncompetitive businesses. Ken Silverstein, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for uncompetitive

Word History

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of uncompetitive was in 1885

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Uncompetitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uncompetitive. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

uncompetitive

adjective
un·​com·​pet·​i·​tive ˌən-kəm-ˈpet-ət-iv How to pronounce uncompetitive (audio)
: not competitive : unable to compete
uncompetitiveness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on uncompetitive

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!