competition

noun

com·​pe·​ti·​tion ˌkäm-pə-ˈti-shən How to pronounce competition (audio)
1
: the act or process of competing : rivalry: such as
a
: the effort of two or more parties acting independently to secure the business of a third party by offering the most favorable terms
contractors in competition for the contract to build the new school
b
: active demand by two or more organisms or kinds of organisms for some environmental resource in short supply
the interspecies competition for food
2
: a contest between rivals
a gymnastics competition
also : one's competitors
faced tough competition

Examples of competition in a Sentence

Prices are lower when there is competition among the stores. Don't let the competition know our trade secrets. They had a competition to see who could sell the most lemonade.
Recent Examples on the Web There is definitely competition; well, not so much competition, as a lot of options. Kristine M. Kierzek, Journal Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2024 From Sorenstam’s historic 59 – the lowest-scoring game ever during a women’s competition – to her 90 international wins, her professional legacy is unmatched. Michelle Cohan, CNN, 7 Mar. 2024 The measures are taking effect just days after EU regulators fined Apple nearly $2 billion (1.8 billion euros) for thwarting competition in the music streaming market. Michael Liedtke, Fortune Europe, 7 Mar. 2024 There is competition in store at positions across the board even though four starters are back on offense and seven on defense. Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 7 Mar. 2024 Mitty has faced little competition in Northern California, so taking on a strong opponent in its final game will require an adjustment. Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 Launching any new daytime soap would actually break a decades-long streak, as the genre has fallen out of favor given its declining ratings amid competition from streaming. James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024 Duhamel, the star of the film Buddy Games and the host of its reality competition show spin-off, is looking for someone to rent his former home in Encino, California, for a cool $15,000 per month, according to Realtor.com. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 24 Feb. 2024 The high level of competition implemented in practice by Haneef-Park manifested itself into the Mojo winning long rallies throughout the match, particularly in a thrilling first set. Tim Meehan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'competition.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin competition-, competitio, from Latin competere — see compete

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of competition was in 1579

Dictionary Entries Near competition

Cite this Entry

“Competition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/competition. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

competition

noun
com·​pe·​ti·​tion ˌkäm-pə-ˈtish-ən How to pronounce competition (audio)
1
: the act or process of competing
2
a
: a contest between rivals
b
c
: an individual or group one is competing against
look over the competition
3
: the effort of persons or firms to attract business by offering the most favorable terms
4
: the active seeking after and use of an environmental resource (as food) in limited supply by two or more plants or animals or kinds of plants and animals

More from Merriam-Webster on competition

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!