# competitor

/kəmˈpɛtətɝ/ (US) · /kəmpˈɛtɪtɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/competitor
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. business or market rival

noun · CEFR B1

a company or person that sells the same products or services as you and tries to win the same customers.

For teachers: a commercial entity or individual offering similar products or services within the same market, competing for market share.

- The company lowered its prices to stay ahead of its main competitor.
- The tech giant acquired several smaller competitors to consolidate its dominance in the emerging cloud computing market.

### 2. sports or contest participant

noun · CEFR B1

someone who takes part in a race, a game, or a competition.

For teachers: an individual or team participating in a structured contest, particularly in an athletic or professional context.

- Over two hundred competitors entered the marathon this year.
- Each competitor underwent rigorous drug testing before being cleared to participate in the final round of the championship.

## Examples

- The company is much cheaper than its main competitor.
- Every competitor in the marathon must attend a safety briefing before the race begins on Sunday morning.
- As globalization lowers barriers to entry, a local business may find that its most dangerous competitor is no longer the shop across the street, but a digital platform operating from another continent.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.