Compete Meaning
/kəmˈpiːt/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
verbTo be in battle or in a rivalry with another for the same thing, position, or reward; to contend.
verbTo be in a position in which it is possible to win or triumph.
Sentence Examples
We used to compete furiously in college.
Family members should not compete against each other.
The company must reduce costs to compete effectively.
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CEFR Practice Quiz
Small businesses often struggle to ____ with large corporations in the market.
Word Origin & History
Borrowed from Middle French competer, from Latin competere (“to coincide, to be equal to, to be capable of”), from com- (“with”) + petō (“to seek; to aim for, strive for”). Compare Latin competītor (“competitor”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Negga, who was born in Ethiopia but grew up in Limerick, already has a clutch of Best Actress nominations under her belt for Loving but this is the most high profile to date. She's won rave reviews for her performance since the movie's premiere at Cannes in May, where it competed for the Palme d'Or."
— 2016 December 13, “Golden Globes going green again to honour Irish talent”, in RTE:
""No. But one, or both of those men, may prove to be worse. That second man was Addison Berg, and he's agent for a firm of submarine boat builders who are rivals of dad's. Berg has been trying to find out why we abandoned our intention of competing for the Government prize.""
— 1910, Victor Appleton, Tom Swift and His Submarine Boat, page 70:
"The idea behind Sir Montagu's gift is that there should be for the amateur clubs a trophy which will take the place of the Stanley Cup, now becoming a trophy for which professional clubs will alone compete."
— 1909, Cup for Amateurs:
"Now, when it comes to meeting the larger challenges we face as a nation, I realize that finding this unity is easier said than done – especially in Washington. But if we want to compete on the world stage as well as we’ve competed in the world’s games, we need to find common ground."
— 2010, Barack Obama, Presidential Weekly Address (27 February 2010):
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CEFR Practice Quiz
Small businesses often struggle to ____ with large corporations in the market.