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 Garvie made a few polite jabs at Sony’s indie competition, the likes of Banijay and Fremantle, who have been actively gobbling up international production companies in an buying spree over the past few years. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Mar. 2024 The men’s competition will begin on July 24, with the women kicking off a day later. Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024 Moreno’s biggest competition came from Dolan, who secured endorsements from Gov. Mike DeWine and former Sen. Rob Portman. Haley Bemiller, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2024 In the Bay Area’s outrageously expensive housing market, experts say fees could drop by potentially tens of thousands of dollars as real estate agents face increasing competition for the still-lucrative commissions, calculated as a percentage of a home’s final sale price. Ethan Varian, The Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2024 That ambition has created both enormous administrative strain and a competition for prestige. Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 19 Mar. 2024 The policy changes could help spur price competition for agents’ services and lower the cost for sellers who now typically cover the commission for the buyer’s agent, as well as that of their own. Alex Veiga, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2024 The Biden administration has taken steps to make groceries more affordable by bringing down fertilizer prices and encouraging competition in the agriculture industry. Abha Bhattarai, Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2024 There are currently 57 electric vehicle models on sale in the U.S., and while Tesla is still the most popular, new players in the electric car market are driving competition and prices keep dropping. Bradley Brownell / Jalopnik, Quartz, 18 Mar. 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 29 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

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