uncompetitive

adjective

un·​com·​pet·​i·​tive ˌən-kəm-ˈpe-tə-tiv 

: 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

Populist Republicans congratulate themselves on cracking American democracy’s code by promising the public expensive new services and costly protectionist schemes that shield uncompetitive industries from the ravages of the market, all while reducing the tax burden on the majority of taxpayers. —Noah Rothman, National Review, 27 Sep. 2024

The team projects to carry a payroll of less than $70 million in 2025, and is not expected to spend in free agency to fill the gaps apparent on their uncompetitive roster. —Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024

Bidding is often uncompetitive simply because only one firm possess the necessary expertise. —Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024

Digging into individual races, most seats in the House are uncompetitive, so the contests that will decide the House majority make up a very small proportion of the overall map. —Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

uncompetitive

adjective

un·​com·​pet·​i·​tive ˌən-kəm-ˈpet-ət-iv 

: not competitive : unable to compete

uncompetitiveness noun