# rival

/ˈɹaɪvəɫ/ (US) · /ɹˈaɪvəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/rival
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. a competitor

noun · CEFR B2

a person, group, or business that is competing with you for the same thing.

For teachers: a person, organization, or entity competing with another for the same objective or for superiority in the same field.

- The two companies have been business rivals for over twenty years.
- The political rivals agreed to a televised debate to clarify their opposing positions on the proposed economic reforms.

### 2. to match or equal

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to be as good as, as strong as, or better than someone or something else.

For teachers: to be comparable to another in quality, size, or merit; often used to indicate that something has reached a high standard.

- The beauty of the mountains here rivals anything I have seen in Europe.
- The speed and efficiency of the new processing chip rival those of much more expensive industrial models.

Usage: This is a transitive verb and does not require a preposition like 'with'.

### 3. competing

adjective · CEFR B2

describing people or groups that are competing against each other.

For teachers: competing for the same objective or superiority; typically used attributively before a noun.

- The project was delayed because of pressure from rival groups in the city.
- Rival factions within the party struggled to reach a consensus before the national convention began.

## Examples

- The two companies are rivals in the smartphone market.
- The local team beat their biggest rival in the final game of the season.
- Despite being fierce rivals for the promotion, the two colleagues maintained a professional relationship and collaborated effectively on the final project.

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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.