competitive
- 01 B1 Intermediate
describing a person who has a strong desire to be more successful than others.
describing an individual's psychological inclination toward rivalry and the desire to outperform others.
Simple“He is very competitive and hates losing even a simple board game.”
In context“The firm actively recruits competitive individuals who thrive in high-pressure environments where performance is measured against strict monthly targets.”
Antonymsunambitiouscomplacent - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
describing a price or product that is as good as or better than others in the same market.
denoting a price, quality, or service level that is sufficiently attractive to compete effectively with rivals.
Simple“The shop offers very competitive prices on all their electronics.”
In context“To maintain a competitive edge in the global market, the manufacturer had to reduce overhead costs without compromising the integrity of the final product.”
Synonymsaffordablemarket leadingAntonymsuncompetitiveoverpriced - 03 B1 Intermediate
relating to a situation where people or companies are trying to be more successful than each other.
pertaining to or involving a contest or rivalry between two or more parties.
Simple“The job market is very competitive right now, with many people applying for one role.”
In context“The telecommunications sector has become increasingly competitive since the government introduced new regulations to break up the state-owned monopoly.”
SynonymsrivalrousAntonymsmonopolisticcooperative - 04 C2 Proficiency
describing a substance that stops another from working by trying to take its place.
relating to the inhibition of a chemical substance by another competing for the same binding site.
Simple“The drug works through competitive inhibition to block the virus.”
In context“In competitive inhibition, the antagonist binds to the active site of the enzyme, effectively preventing the substrate from initiating the reaction.”
Antonymsnon competitive
Usage competitive advantage · competitive environment · competitive market
From Latin competītus (past participle of competere) + -ive.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.