Competition
/ˌkɒm.pəˈtɪʃ.ən/noun
The act of competing against others for the same goal, prize, or advantage.
Did you know?Competition comes from Latin competere, originally meaning “to strive together” or “to seek at the same time,” so the word began as shared pursuit before it became a battlefield.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
competere
“to come together, meet, agree; later, to strive for the same thing”
Late Latin
Latin
competitiō
“rivalry, striving together for the same object”
Old French
Old French
competicion
“contest, rivalry”
14th–15th Century
English
competition
“rivalry for a prize, office, or advantage”
Modern English
English
competition
“the contest or rivalry between people or groups”
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