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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
Jordan Campbell, The Athletic, 21 Feb. 2025
Just two seconds after the opening puck drop, the Florida Panthers left wing, Matthew, dropped the gloves with his cross-state rival, Brandon Hagel of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
—Carol Schram, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025
Thomas Drance, The Athletic, 22 Feb. 2025
Now that the Justin Baldoni–Blake Lively drama has made everyone freshly aware of how easily social-media narratives can be manipulated, some have wondered whether these stories were planted by rival campaigns.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 22 Feb. 2025
Mark Joseph, Newsweek, 22 Feb. 2025
It was originally produced to rival Sprite—Slice’s original flavor was a lemon-lime soda—but the fizzy sipper expanded its product line and enamored customers along the way.
—Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 21 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Rival.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rival. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rival
2 of 3 adjectiverival
3 of 3 verb
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"
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