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

The Italian actress had been narrating HBO’s adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s novels, about the lives of two book-loving, quietly competitive friends from a poor Naples neighborhood, since its first episode in 2018. —Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2024

Since 2020, the housing market in Mesa has ratcheted up to one of the most competitive in the country, with a Competition Index at or near the maximum for most of 2024. —Jasmine Cui, NBC News, 10 Nov. 2024

Striking a balance between nostalgia and innovation is crucial for the chain to remain competitive. —Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 8 Nov. 2024

Our testing data show a marked improvement over the previous Mac mini with M2 Pro, and quite competitive results with some of the best iterations of Intel's desktop and mobile chips. —PCMAG, 7 Nov. 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