competitor

noun

com·​pet·​i·​tor kəm-ˈpe-tə-tər How to pronounce competitor (audio)
Synonyms of competitornext
: one that competes: such as
a
: rival
a fierce competitor on the soccer field
b
: one selling or buying goods or services in the same market as another
offering lower prices than our competitors
c
: an organism that lives in competition with another
The squid population increased dramatically when food competitors were depleted by heavy overfishing.

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of competitor in a Sentence

We offer better rates than our competitors. There were more than 500 competitors in the race.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In fact, research shows that companies putting talent at the heart of their business strategy achieve higher total shareholder returns than their competitors. — Sherzod Odilov, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025 Plus, the restaurant category notoriously lacks brand loyalty — customers are just as happy to try out a competitor with a better deal or an enticing new menu option if their go-to restaurant’s options feel stale. — Jordan Valinsky, CNN, 7 Mar. 2025 The company competes directly with other digital health startups like Sword Health, but Hinge Health is about four times larger than is closet competitor, the person said. — Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 7 Mar. 2025 Given their unique modern folk-culture status, Goldberg and Winfrey became career competitors. — Armond White, National Review, 7 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for competitor

Word History

Etymology

see competition

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of competitor was in 1534

Browse Nearby Words

competitor
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Competitor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/competitor. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

competitor

noun
com·​pet·​i·​tor kəm-ˈpet-ət-ər How to pronounce competitor (audio)
: one that competes especially in the selling of goods or services : rival

More from Merriam-Webster on competitor

Nglish: Translation of competitor for Spanish Speakers

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
number-twelve-balloon
12-Letter Words Quiz A dozen words, a dozen letters each.
See All