compete

English Online Dictionary. What means compete‎? What does compete mean?

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French competer, from Latin competere (“to coincide, to be equal to, to be capable of”), present active infinitive of competō, from com- (“with”) + petō (“I seek, I aim for, I strive for”). Compare Latin competītor (“competitor”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kəmˈpiːt/
• Rhymes: -iːt

Verb

compete (third-person singular simple present competes, present participle competing, simple past and past participle competed)

1. To be in battle or in a rivalry with another for the same thing, position, or reward; to contend
2. To be in a position in which it is possible to win or triumph.
3. To take part in a contest, game or similar event
4. To strive to achieve or obtain something which another also strives for, whether knowingly or unknowingly.

Usage notes

A person will compete for a prize received for winning a competition. Two or more persons compete against one another if they are rivals. Two or more persons can compete with each other as teammates, however compete with is also used to indicate two persons competing against each other.

Antonyms

• cooperate

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Further reading

• “compete”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Galician

Verb

compete

1. (reintegrationist norm) inflection of competir:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Italian

Verb

compete

1. third-person singular present indicative of competere

Latin

Verb

compete

1. second-person singular present active imperative of competō

Portuguese

Verb

compete

1. inflection of competir:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Spanish

Verb

compete

1. inflection of competer:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative