competition
B1 (Independent User)Neutral. Common in formal, informal, academic, and business contexts.
Definition
Meaning
The activity of trying to win or be more successful than others in an activity (e.g., sport, business, exam).
1. An organized event in which people try to win a prize by being the best, fastest, etc. 2. The person or people you are competing against. 3. The situation in which companies are trying to get more customers or sell more products than others.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word often implies a formal structure with rules and a goal, but can also describe informal rivalry. The meaning shifts slightly based on whether it is countable (an event) or uncountable (the general concept).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. Spelling is identical. In sports contexts, UK might use 'cup' or 'championship' more specifically for events, while US uses 'competition' broadly.
Connotations
Equally neutral in both varieties. Slight UK tendency to associate with 'fair play' in amateur contexts.
Frequency
Equally high frequency in both corpora. Slightly higher collocation with 'market' in US business English.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
competition between X and Ycompetition for somethingcompetition from somebody/somethingin competition withface competitionVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “ahead of the competition”
- “out of the competition”
- “the competition is heating up”
- “the competition is fierce”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to rival companies. 'We need to analyze the competition before launching the product.'
Academic
Used in economics, biology (e.g., competition for resources), and social sciences.
Everyday
Used for sports, games, school events, or casual comparisons. 'There's a baking competition at the village fair.'
Technical
In ecology: 'interspecific competition'. In economics: 'perfect competition'.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- 'To compete' is the verb form. He will compete in the marathon.
- Several firms are competing for the contract.
American English
- 'To compete' is the verb form. She competes in national gymnastics.
- Stores are competing to offer the lowest prices.
adverb
British English
- competitively
- The team played competitively despite the loss.
- The product is priced competitively.
American English
- competitively
- She swam competitively in college.
- The house was competitively listed.
adjective
British English
- competitive
- She has a very competitive nature.
- The market is highly competitive.
American English
- competitive
- He got a competitive score on the test.
- We offer a competitive salary.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I entered a drawing competition.
- The competition was fun.
- There is a competition at school.
- The competition for university places is very strong.
- Our main competition is the new supermarket.
- She won first prize in the singing competition.
- Fierce global competition has forced the company to innovate.
- The two athletes were in direct competition for the gold medal.
- We must stay ahead of the competition by improving our customer service.
- The regulatory body ensures fair competition within the industry.
- His research examines the effects of resource competition on species diversity.
- The incumbent faced unexpectedly stiff competition from a political newcomer.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of COMing together to PETition for a win. Groups (COM-) PETition to be the best.
Conceptual Metaphor
COMPETITION IS WAR / A RACE ('beat the competition', 'ahead of the pack', 'market warfare').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'конкурс' only; it is broader. The uncountable meaning ('There is a lot of competition') is often mistranslated as 'соревнование' (countable). Use 'конкуренция' for business/rivalry contexts.
Common Mistakes
- Using as a verb (*'I competition with him'). Correct: 'I compete with him.'
- Using 'a competition' for the general concept (uncountable): '*There is a high competition for jobs.' Correct: 'There is high competition for jobs.'
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'competition' in its uncountable sense?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is both. Countable: 'a singing competition'. Uncountable: 'There is a lot of competition in this sector.'
'Contest' often implies a single event with judges and a winner (e.g., beauty contest). 'Competition' is broader and can refer to an ongoing rivalry (e.g., business competition) or a structured event.
No. The verb is 'to compete'. A common mistake is '*I competition with him'. Correct: 'I compete with him.'
The main adjective is 'competitive'. ('a competitive market', 'a competitive person').
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