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

An unprecedented mix of veterans and promising newcomers, especially on the women’s side, makes this week’s trials at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn., one of the most competitive in recent history. —Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2024

And Trump’s backing wasn’t enough to make either Williams or Staggs even competitive. —Aaron Blake, Washington Post, 26 June 2024

The screen hits the perfect balance for gaming, with decent color coverage and a 240Hz panel for higher frame rates in competitive games. —PCMAG, 25 June 2024

Despite boasting several talented players, including the likes of Timothy Weah, Pulisic and Balogun, serious questions remain about whether the US men can consistently be competitive against teams outside of its CONCACAF bubble. —Ben Church, CNN, 24 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

see competition

First Known Use

1829, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing competitive

• hyper-competitive

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