Competition - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

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SKIP TO CONTENT competition /ˈkɑmpəˌtɪʃən/ /kɑmpəˈtɪʃən/ IPA guide

Other forms: competitions

If you are trying to win or attempting to prove you're the best, you're in a competition. The word also describes your opponent in sports, business, and politics.

If you're trying to beat out someone else — whether in the Olympics or a pie-baking contest — it's a competition, and the other contestants are called the competition too. If you describe something as a "friendly competition," you're saying the outcome isn't critical, or there's no money involved. If you do something impressive in order to win, people will say competition brings out the best in you. If you try to injure your opponent, they'll say it brings out the worst.

Definitions of competition

noun the act of competing as for profit or a prize synonyms: contention, rivalry see moresee less antonyms: cooperation joint operation or action types: show 4 types... hide 4 types... contest a struggle between rivals battle of wits a contest in which intelligence rather than violence is used bidding contest a series of competing bids popularity contest competition (real or figurative) for popular support type of: group action action taken by a group of people
noun a business relation in which two parties compete to gain customers “business competition can be fiendish at times” see moresee less types: price competition, price war intense competition in which competitors cut retail prices to gain business type of: business relation a relation between different business enterprises
noun an occasion on which a winner is selected from among two or more contestants synonyms: contest see moresee less types: show 74 types... hide 74 types... game a single play of a sport or other contest athletic competition, athletic contest, athletics a contest between athletes bout a contest or fight (especially between boxers or wrestlers) championship a competition at which a champion is chosen chicken a foolhardy competition; a dangerous activity that is continued until one competitor becomes afraid and stops cliffhanger a contest whose outcome is uncertain up to the very end dogfight a fiercely disputed contest race a contest of speed tournament, tourney a sporting competition in which contestants play a series of games to decide the winner playoff any competition to determine a championship series (sports) several contests played successively by the same teams field trial a contest between gun dogs to determine their proficiency in pointing and retrieving match a formal contest in which two or more persons or teams compete tournament a series of jousts between knights contesting for a prize race any competition spelldown, spelling bee, spelling contest a contest in which you are eliminated if you fail to spell a word correctly trial (sports) a preliminary competition to determine qualifications derby a contest or race open to any interested contestants pageant a contest in which competitors’ beauty is judged away game, road game a game played away from home home game a game played at home exhibition game, practice game a game whose outcome is not recorded in the season's standing nightcap the final game of a double header double feature, doubleheader, twin bill two games instead of one (especially in baseball when the same two teams play two games on the same day) playoff game one game in the series of games constituting a playoff cup tie an eliminating game between teams in a cup competition decathlon an athletic contest consisting of ten different events Olympiad, Olympic Games, Olympics an international sports competition that takes place every two years, alternating between winter and summer sports Special Olympics an athletic contest modeled after the Olympic Games but intended for mentally or physically handicapped persons prelim, preliminary a minor match preceding the main event pentathlon an athletic contest consisting of five different events auto race, automobile race, car race a race between (usually high-performance) automobiles bicycle race a race between people riding bicycles boat race a race between people rowing or driving boats burnup a high-speed motorcycle race on a public road chariot race a race between ancient chariots dog racing a race between dogs; usually an occasion for betting on the outcome foot race, footrace, run a race run on foot freestyle a race (as in swimming) in which each contestant has a free choice of the style to use cross country a long race run over open country heat a preliminary race in which the winner advances to a more important race horse race a contest of speed between horses; usually held for the purpose of betting potato race a novelty race in which competitors move potatoes from one place to another one at a time sack race a novelty race in which competitors jump ahead with their feet confined in a sack scratch race a race in which all contestants start from scratch (on equal terms) ski race, skiing race a race between people wearing skis relay, relay race a race between teams; each member runs or swims part of the distance repechage a race (especially in rowing) in which runners-up in the eliminating heats compete for a place in the final race World Cup a soccer tournament held every four years between national soccer teams to determine a world champion elimination tournament a tournament in which losers are eliminated in successive rounds open a tournament in which both professionals and amateurs may play home stand a series of successive games played at a team's home field or court World Series series that constitutes the playoff for the baseball championship boxing match a match between boxers; usually held in a boxing ring chess match a match between chess players cockfight a match in a cockpit between two fighting cocks heeled with metal gaffs cricket match a match between two cricket teams diving, diving event an athletic competition that involves diving into water field event a competition that takes place on a field rather than on a running track final the final match between the winners of all previous matches in an elimination tournament quarterfinal one of the four competitions in an elimination tournament whose winners go on to play in the semifinals semi, semifinal one of the two competitions in the next to the last round of an elimination tournament round robin a tournament in which every contestant plays every other contestant meet, sports meeting a meeting at which a number of athletic contests are held swimming event an athletic competition that involves swimming tennis match a match between tennis players match game, matched game, test match an international championship match wrestling match a match between wrestlers hop-step-and-jump, triple jump an athletic contest in which a competitor must perform successively a hop and a step and a jump in continuous movement tug-of-war a contest in which teams pull of opposite ends of a rope; the team dragged across a central line loses arms race a competition between nations to have the most powerful armaments campaign, political campaign, run a race between candidates for elective office triathlon an athletic contest consisting of three different events (typically running, swimming, and cycling) biathlon an athletic contest consisting of two different events (typically cross-country skiing and rifle shooting) type of: social event an event characteristic of persons forming groups
noun the contestant you hope to defeat “he wanted to know what the competition was doing” synonyms: challenger, competitor, contender, rival see moresee less types: show 14 types... hide 14 types... champ, champion, title-holder someone who has won first place in a competition comer someone with a promising future finalist a contestant who reaches the final stages of a competition enemy, foe, nemesis a personal enemy favorite, favourite, front-runner a competitor thought likely to win king, queen, world-beater a competitor who holds a preeminent position runner-up, second best the competitor who finishes second scratch a competitor who has withdrawn from competition semifinalist one of four competitors remaining in a tournament by elimination street fighter a contestant who is very aggressive and willing to use underhand methods tier any one of two or more competitors who tie one another tilter someone who engages in a tilt or joust mortal enemy an enemy who wants to kill you record-breaker, record-holder someone who breaks a record type of: contestant a person who participates in competitions

Pronunciation US /ˈkɑmpəˌtɪʃən/ UK /kɑmpəˈtɪʃən/ Cite this entry Style: MLA

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