competition
gb/kˌɑmpətˈɪʃən/ us/kˌɑmpətˈɪʃən/
A2
English
~ 1000
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
event
1
organized contest to determine a winner
An event where people or groups try to be the best or win a prize.
Usage pattern:
[someone] enters/joins/wins [a competition]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'competition' with 'competing'. 'Competition' is the event, not the action.
Synonyms
contest (Very close in meaning; often interchangeable, though 'contest' can sometimes suggest smaller scale events.)
Antonyms
cooperation (Opposite in that it involves working together instead of trying to win over others.)
Collocations
enter a competition
|win a competition
|international competition
|sports competition
|music competition
Themes
sports
|business
|education
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She won first place in the singing competition.
- The school is hosting a science competition next month.
- Our team is preparing for the national robotics competition.
- The photography competition attracted entries from around the world.
- He entered a cooking competition at the local fair.
Learner examples
- I will join the dance competition.
- They won the football competition.
- We have a spelling competition at school.
- My brother is in a music competition.
- She is happy to be in the art competition.
Noun
B1
action
2
rivalry to achieve success
When people or groups try to be better than others to get something.
Usage pattern:
[someone] faces/encounters [competition] from [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners may misuse 'competition' when they mean 'competitor', e.g., saying 'He is my competition' instead of 'He is my competitor'. While the former is possible, it is less common and can sound informal.
Synonyms
rivalry ('Rivalry' often suggests a more personal or ongoing competitive relationship.)
Antonyms
collaboration (Involves working together rather than trying to outperform each other.)
Collocations
face competition
|stiff competition
|healthy competition
|direct competition
Themes
business
|economics
|sports
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Small businesses face strong competition from large corporations.
- There is intense competition for jobs in the tech industry.
- Healthy competition can motivate people to improve their skills.
- The company is losing market share due to foreign competition.
- Competition between the two brands has driven prices down.
Learner examples
- There is strong competition in my class.
- We have competition for the best job.
- The shop has competition from another shop.
- He likes friendly competition with his friends.
Noun
B1
entity
3
opposing participants in a contest
The people or groups who are trying to win against you.
Usage pattern:
[someone] beats/defeats [the competition]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this with meaning #1 and think it refers only to events, not people.
Synonyms
opponents ('Opponents' often refers specifically to individuals in a sports or debate context, while 'competition' can also refer more broadly to rival companies or teams.)
Antonyms
allies (Allies work with you instead of against you.)
Collocations
beat the competition
|outperform the competition
|stay ahead of the competition
Themes
sports
|business
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Our product is faster and cheaper than the competition.
- She easily defeated the competition in the final round.
- The team studied videos of their competition before the match.
- We need to analyze what the competition is offering.
- Their marketing campaign outshone the competition.
Learner examples
- We want to beat the competition.
- Our shop is better than the competition.
- They will watch the competition before playing.
- He knows his competition well.
Grammar
Dictionary form
competition
IPA
GB/kˌɑmpətˈɪʃən/
US/kˌɑmpətˈɪʃən/
Syllables & stress
com - pet - i - tion (4 syllables)
Stress on 3rd syllable (i)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: competition
- Plural: competition, competitions
Word family
Forms
competitions
noun
Core family
Related words
competitively
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
uncompetitive
adjective
Advanced or less common
competitiveness
noun B2
Expressions
face stiff competition
1/fˈeɪs stˈɪf kˌɑmpətˈɪʃən/
fixed phrase
have strong rivals to overcome
To have strong people or groups trying to win against you.
Examples
- The new store will face stiff competition from established brands.
- Applicants for this position face stiff competition.
beat the competition
1/bˈit ðə kˌɑmpətˈɪʃən/
fixed phrase
win over all rivals
To do better than all other people or groups trying to win.
Examples
- Our new product will beat the competition easily.
- Our company needs a new strategy to beat the competition.
- She trained hard to beat the competition at the tournament.
- She trained hard all year to beat the competition at the championship.
stay ahead of the competition
1/stˈeɪ əhˈɛd əv ðə kˌɑmpətˈɪʃən/
fixed phrase
maintain advantage over rivals
To keep being better than your rivals over time.
Examples
- We must innovate to stay ahead of the competition.
- We must innovate constantly to stay ahead of the competition.
- Good customer service helps them stay ahead of the competition.