competitor

noun

com·pet·i·tor kəm-ˈpe-tə-tər

Synonyms of competitor

: one that competes: such as

: rival

a fierce competitor on the soccer field

: one selling or buying goods or services in the same market as another

offering lower prices than our competitors

: an organism that lives in competition with another

The squid population increased dramatically when food competitors were depleted by heavy overfishing.

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.

Free markets depend on buyers and sellers being able to find one another and competitors having a fair opportunity to compete. — Tomas J. Philipson, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026 Rather than directly monetizing the platform, Nvidia can deepen developer loyalty, make its hardware and software a natural choice for deploying AI models, and keep a strategic asset out of competitors' hands. — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 5 Sep. 2026 Zheng and Keys understand each other’s feelings, perhaps more than most competitors. — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2026 The two technologies are not necessarily competitors, however. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026 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

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Competitor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/competitor. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

competitor

noun

com·pet·i·tor kəm-ˈpet-ət-ər

: one that competes especially in the selling of goods or services : rival

competitor

noun

Synonyms of competitor

Examples of competitor in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

gist

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

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

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Games & Quizzes