competition

UK: /ˌkɒmpɪˈtɪʃ^ən/ US: /ˌkɑmpɪˈtɪʃən/ ,(kom′pi tish′ən)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

com•pe•ti•tion /ˌkɑmpɪˈtɪʃən/   n. 

1. [uncountable] the act of competing;
   rivalry for a prize, etc.
2. [countable] a contest for some prize, honor, or advantage:
   an ice-skating competition.
3. [uncountable] the rivalry offered by a competitor:
   Small businesses are getting a lot of competition from the chain stores.
4. a competitor or competitors:
   [uncountable] Our coaches watched films of the competition.
5. Ecology the struggle among living things, for food, space, etc.:
   [uncountable] competition in the survival of the fittest.

See -pet-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

com•pe•ti•tion  (kom′pi tish′ən), n. 

1. the act of competing;
   rivalry for supremacy, a prize, etc.:
   The competition between the two teams was bitter.
2. a contest for some prize, honor, or advantage:
   Both girls entered the competition.
3. the rivalry offered by a competitor:
   The small merchant gets powerful competition from the chain stores.
4. a competitor or competitors:
   What is your competition offering?
5. Sociology rivalry between two or more persons or groups for an object desired in common, usually resulting in a victor and a loser but not necessarily involving the destruction of the latter.
6. Ecology the struggle among organisms, both of the same and of different species, for food, space, and other vital requirements.

• Late Latin competītiōn- (stem of competītiō), equivalent. to competīt(us) (past participle of competere to meet, come together) + -iōn- -ion; sense influenced by competitor
• 1595–1605

Synonyms

• 1. emulation.
• 2. struggle.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

competition / ˌkɒmpɪˈtɪʃən/ noun

1. the act of competing; rivalry
2. a contest in which a winner is selected from two or more entrants
3. a series of games, sports events, etc
4. the opposition offered by a competitor or competitors
5. a competitor or competitors offering opposition