competitor
noun
What competitor means
A person or company that tries to win the same customers or prizes as you.
Our main competitor just lowered its prices.
She studies what her competitors are doing.
Test yourself
Five questions about competitor
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Question 1 of 5Meaning
What does competitor mean?
Competitors want the same thing as you, such as the same customers or the same prize, so only one of you can win it.
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Question 2 of 5Situation
Two bakeries on the same street sell similar bread, and both try to win the same customers. They are…
The two bakeries try to win the same customers, so each one is a competitor of the other. Suppliers sell to a business, and colleagues work together.
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Question 3 of 5Gap
Customers are leaving our ___ and coming to us because our prices are lower.
Customers move between companies that sell the same things, so the companies they are leaving are your competitors, the businesses that want the same customers.
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Question 4 of 5Similar word
Which word is closest in meaning to competitor?
A rival is someone who tries to win the same thing as you, so it means nearly the same as competitor. Partners, suppliers and customers work with you.
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Question 5 of 5Correct use
Which sentence uses competitor correctly?
Competitor is a noun for the person or company you compete against. The event is a competition, the verb is compete and the adjective is competitive.
Keys 1 to 4 pick an answer, Enter goes on.
Competitor in a sentence
5 more examples of competitor in everyday situations.
- At work
We checked our competitors' websites before we set our prices.
- Sports
More than five hundred competitors started the marathon this morning.
- In the news
The two airlines are now direct competitors on the New York route.
- Job interview
What makes your company different from your competitors?
- Small business
Small shops find it hard to beat online competitors on price.
How to use competitor
A competitor is not always an enemy. In business it means a company that sells something similar to yours.
Stress is on the second syllable: kuhm-PET-uh-tuh. The verb is compete and the noun competition.
Forms
- competitorsplural
- competeverb
- competitionnoun
- competitiveadjective
Patterns
- a competitor of / to someone
- a main / major / direct competitor
- compete with / against someone
- compete for something
Common mistakes with competitor
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NotThey are our concurrents.
SayThey are our competitors.
In English, concurrent means happening at the same time, so a rival business is a competitor.
Competitor or rival or competition?
- competitor or rival
- A rival is a competitor you have a strong, often personal or long history with; competitor is the neutral business and sports word for anyone trying to win the same thing.
- competitor or competition
- Competition is the situation or the event, and also all your competitors as a group; a competitor is one person or company in it.
Competitor is a B2 word. Is that your level? Take the level test or count the words you know.
Competitor word family and collocations
The words that go with competitor, so you can use it in a whole phrase.
Common collocations
- a close competitor
- main competitor
- beat a competitor
- outperform competitors
- a rival company
Word family
- competitor (noun)
- compete (verb)
- competition (noun)
- competitive (adjective)
Similar words
- rival
Questions about competitor
Competitor or competition?
A competitor is one company or person. The competition can mean an event, like a singing competition, or all your competitors together, as in we need to watch the competition.
Compete with or compete against?
Both are correct and mean the same. Use compete for the thing you want to win: they compete for customers.
Is competitor only for business?
No. It is used in business and also in sports and contests, for every person or team that takes part.
The word before
Do you still remember screenshot?
One question about the word from 23 October. Remembering a word a day later helps it stay.
One question
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What does screenshot mean?
A screenshot is an image you make of your screen, so it shows exactly what you could see on your phone or computer when you saved it.
Keys 1 to 4 pick an answer.
More work words
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C1
reimburse
To pay someone back money that they spent for you. -
B2
feedback
Comments about someone’s work or actions that tell them what was good and what could be better. -
B2
thorough
Done carefully and completely, with attention to every detail. -
C1
bottleneck
A point in a process where work slows down because too much has to pass through one narrow place. -
B2
postpone
To move an event or a task to a later time than planned. -
C1
onboarding
The process of helping a new employee or customer get started, with introductions, training and information.