Other forms: competitions
Competition is a contest to find who is best, or rivalry in trade. Enter a competition, fierce competition, the competition.
In economics it is what keeps prices down and quality up, which is why competition authorities exist and why monopolies are watched. The competition, with the definite article, means your rivals. Note compete; and that the Latin means to strive together, from petere, to seek.
1nouncompetitionA contest to find who is best.
“She won first prize in a national poetry competition.”
2nounrivalryRivalry in trade.
“The small bakery faces stiff competition from the new supermarket.”
Too few real examples of this word to estimate which sense is commonest.
competition is a contest or rivalry.
Latin competitio comes from competere, to strive together — com plus petere, to seek. Appetite and petition come from the same seeking.
Latin
competitio
French
compétition
English, today
competition
Borrowed from French compétition, from Latin competitio, from Latin competō, from con- + petō. by surface analysis, compete + -ition.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA