competitor
Americannoun
noun
Synonym Usage
See opponent.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of competitor
First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin competītor “rival for an office,” equivalent to com- com- + petītor “seeker, claimant” ( see petitor)
Explanation
Competitors are rivals or contenders for the same thing. Two boxers in a ring are competitors, and so are restaurants located on the same block. When people compete (in sports, business, or elsewhere), they're trying to achieve the same goal and are therefore considered competitors. Two teams in the same sports division are competitors. Two politicians running for the same office are competitors. And even two guys courting the same gal are considered competitors. Competitors are out to win.
Vocabulary lists containing competitor
Vocabulary of the Summer Olympics
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Chapter 11: Industry and Immigration, Lessons 1–3
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List, Group, Label pre-reading exercise
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Archer’s main competitor in the air taxi space is Joby, a startup based in Santa Cruz that has been entangled in a bitter legal battle with Archer for more than a year.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
While hailed as an early competitor to Tesla, Polestar sold just 5,747 EVs in the U.S. last year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Another reason that may serve to contract the premium would be the possible U.S. listing of a depositary receipt for Samsung Electronics, Korea’s largest stock and a direct competitor for SK Hynix in many areas.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
"But he's in a high spirit, very motivated, as always. I just know him as someone who is such a tough competitor."
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
I liked that Ronnie was a competitor, because that meant he was going to try and this whole thing wasn’t going to be as boring or pitiful as I thought.
From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan
The number of female competitors in lumberjack sports has more than trebled in the past 30 years, according to Samantha LaSalle, event director of the Lumberjack World Championships.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
SINGAPORE—Chinese artificial-intelligence developers are racing to raise money through share offerings or loans, believing they need a bigger war chest to keep up with U.S. competitors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
Foraying into the defense space could give Archer an extra boost as it races to develop its air taxis faster than competitors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
The races took place on drifting sea ice at the geographic North Pole in the Arctic, with competitors arriving from Norway aboard the French polar vessel Le Commandant Charcot.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
In the most direct way, Indian liberty made indigenous villages into competitors for colonists’ allegiance.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.