# competitive

Pronunciation: say "kuhm-PET-i-tiv" /kəmˈpɛtɪtɪv/

## Adjective

1. Relating to or arising from competition between rivals.
   - Simple: Having to do with rivals trying to win or do better than one another.
   - _Competitive sports demand both skill and self-discipline._
   - _The festival ends with a competitive round judged by professionals._
2. Able to compete successfully, holding its own against rivals in a contest or market.
   - Simple: Good enough to do well against others.
   - _Years of investment kept the company competitive in a crowded market._
   - _Few athletes remain competitive at the elite level past forty._
3. Having a strong tendency to compete, especially an eagerness to win or to outdo others.
   - Simple: Strongly wanting to win or do better than other people.
   - _She has always been fiercely competitive about her grades._
   - _Some children are naturally competitive and thrive when there is a contest._
4. Of a price, rate, or salary, comparing well with what rivals offer: low enough to attract buyers, or, for pay and interest earned, high enough to attract workers or savers.
   - Simple: Good compared with other offers: low when it is a price, high when it is pay.
   - _The little furniture store wins customers with competitive prices on well-made sofas, often well below what the big chains charge._
   - _The hotel offers competitive rates on rooms booked a month ahead._

## Other meanings

- (adjective) Relating to inhibition in which one substance prevents another from binding to a target, usually by competing for the same binding site.

## Origin

Formed from Latin competītus, the past participle of competere, combined with the suffix -ive.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/competitive (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).