COMPETITION

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does competition mean? 

• COMPETITION (noun)
  The noun COMPETITION has 4 senses:

1. a business relation in which two parties compete to gain customers

2. an occasion on which a winner is selected from among two or more contestants

3. the act of competing as for profit or a prize

4. the contestant you hope to defeat

  Familiarity information: COMPETITION used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• COMPETITION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A business relation in which two parties compete to gain customers

Classified under:

Nouns denoting relations between people or things or ideas

Context example:

business competition can be fiendish at times

Hypernyms ("competition" is a kind of...):

business relation (a relation between different business enterprises)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "competition"):

price competition; price war (intense competition in which competitors cut retail prices to gain business)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An occasion on which a winner is selected from among two or more contestants

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

competition; contest

Hypernyms ("competition" is a kind of...):

social event (an event characteristic of persons forming groups)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "competition"):

game (a single play of a sport or other contest)

trial ((sports) a preliminary competition to determine qualifications)

spelldown; spelling bee; spelling contest (a contest in which you are eliminated if you fail to spell a word correctly)

race (any competition)

tournament (a series of jousts between knights contesting for a prize)

match (a formal contest in which two or more persons or teams compete)

field trial (a contest between gun dogs to determine their proficiency in pointing and retrieving)

series ((sports) several contests played successively by the same teams)

rubber (a contest consisting of a series of successive matches between the same sides)

tournament; tourney (a sporting competition in which contestants play a series of games to decide the winner)

race (a contest of speed)

dogfight (a fiercely disputed contest)

cliffhanger (a contest whose outcome is uncertain up to the very end)

chicken (a foolhardy competition; a dangerous activity that is continued until one competitor becomes afraid and stops)

championship (a competition at which a champion is chosen)

bout (a contest or fight (especially between boxers or wrestlers))

athletic competition; athletic contest; athletics (a contest between athletes)

playoff (any final competition to determine a championship)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The act of competing as for profit or a prize

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

competition; contention; rivalry

Context example:

the teams were in fierce contention for first place

Hypernyms ("competition" is a kind of...):

group action (action taken by a group of people)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "competition"):

contest (a struggle between rivals)

Antonym:

cooperation (joint operation or action)

Derivation:

compete (compete for something; engage in a contest; measure oneself against others)

Sense 4

Meaning:

The contestant you hope to defeat

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

challenger; competition; competitor; contender; rival

Context example:

he wanted to know what the competition was doing

Hypernyms ("competition" is a kind of...):

contestant (a person who participates in competitions)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "competition"):

finalist (a contestant who reaches the final stages of a competition)

tilter (someone who engages in a tilt or joust)

tier (any one of two or more competitors who tie one another)

street fighter (a contestant who is very aggressive and willing to use underhand methods)

semifinalist (one of four competitors remaining in a tournament by elimination)

scratch (a competitor who has withdrawn from competition)

runner-up; second best (the competitor who finishes second)

king; queen; world-beater (a competitor who holds a preeminent position)

favorite; favourite; front-runner (a competitor thought likely to win)

enemy; foe (a personal enemy)

comer (someone with a promising future)

champ; champion; title-holder (someone who has won first place in a competition)

 Context examples 

In modern environments, such as forests, there is intense competition between organisms for resources such as light, so taller trees and plants have an obvious advantage over their shorter neighbours.

(Why life on Earth first got big, University of Cambridge)

There is some competition to play that role, however.

(Cars Powered by New Fuel Type Tested in Australia, VOA)

He had not a temper to bear the sort of competition in which we stood—the sort of preference which was often given me.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

Your evolving career rise (not even close to reaching a peak for you for several years) may be attracting competition.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Based on the findings of the study, hyaenodonts may have been pushed to become more specialized meat-eaters due to competition from other species.

(Fossil discovery in Tanzania reveals ancient bobcat-sized carnivore, National Science Foundation)

In setting the new record, Kosgei finished more than six minutes ahead of her competition, completing the race in 2:14:04.

(Kenya's Brigid Kosgei sets new world record at Chicago Marathon, Wikinews)

A type of antibody-excess, non-competition radioimmunometric assay in which ligand is sandwiched between an immobilized antibody on a solid phase and a radiolabeled antibody raised against a different epitope of the ligand.

(Immunoradiometric Assay, NCI Thesaurus)

Non-steroidal aromatase inhibitors work by reversible competition with the enzyme.

(Non-Steroidal Aromatase Inhibitor, NCI Thesaurus)

It is converted in vivo to its mono-, di-, and triphosphate forms and is incorporated into DNA by competition with thymidine.

(Idoxuridine, NCI Thesaurus)

As a result, competition between plakoglobin and beta-catenin will lead to the inhibition of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling, resulting in a shift from a myocyte fate towards an adipocyte fate of cells.

(Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/KEGG)