rivalry

noun

ri·​val·​ry ˈrī-vəl-rē How to pronounce rivalry (audio)
plural rivalries
: the act of rivaling : the state of being a rival : competition

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On Rivals, Rivaling, and Rivalry

The word rival most commonly refers to a person or group that tries to defeat or be more successful than another person or group, which means that rivals tend to come in pairs. Candidates running for the same political office are political rivals, and two people trying to earn the exclusive affection of a third are romantic rivals. Teams, schools, or companies might be longtime rivals if they try over many years to outdo each other.

Rival can also mean “equal” or “peer.” When the word is used in this way it's usually conveying how good or impressive something or someone is. For example, "a country musician the rival of any in the world" is as good as the best country musicians in the world. Often a negating word is added to assert superiority, as in "a country musician without rival."

As a verb, rival typically has a meaning that relates to this latter sense of the noun. The verb is most often used to say that someone or something possesses qualities or aptitudes that approach or equal those of another. For example, for one country musician to be rivaling another, the first country musician must be as good as or nearly as good as the other musician. (Note that in U.S. English, the verb's forms are usually spelled rivaled and rivaling; in British English rivalled and rivalling are preferred.)

The noun rivalry has to do with the state or situation in which rivals (usually in the “competitor” sense) exist, or in which rivaling happens. In politics we have political rivalries, and in matters of the heart there are romantic rivalries. Sibling rivalry exists when there is competition or jealousy between sisters or brothers.

Examples of rivalry in a Sentence

There is a bitter rivalry between the two groups. a strong sense of rivalry
Recent Examples on the Web The victory, paired with No. 2 USC’s over Arizona, set up the final installment of this season’s Bruins-Trojans crosstown rivalry trilogy in Friday’s semifinal at 7:30 p.m. PST. Austin Knoblauch, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024 At a preliminary hearing for two of the three murder suspects — Carlos Zepeda and Jason Cornejo — Bellotti testified that the shooting was part of a rare rivalry between two Norteño gangs, which started in 2015. Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 Nuclear Acceleration: Xi Jinping, China’s leader, built up a nuclear arsenal, steeling for a growing rivalry with the United States. Mike Isaac, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024 The series, created by Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, takes place decades after the events of the original movies, reawakening a rivalry between Macchio’s Daniel and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka). Katcy Stephan, Variety, 6 Mar. 2024 And that's all to be seen on the field, too, with Australia and New Zealand sharing a storied rivalry, but mostly confined to the shorter formats. Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 In December, women cheered for Tehran soccer teams in a popular crosstown rivalry, one of only a handful of times that women have attended games in arenas in the past several years. Cameron Pugh, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 Feb. 2024 There are longstanding rivalries in the world of startups: growth versus discipline—innovation versus safety. Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2024 Cosmo Jarvis told me how his research began with getting a better understanding of the geopolitical tension between the English and the Catholics during the period, a rivalry core to his character. Anhar Karim, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rivalry.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rivalry was in 1598

Dictionary Entries Near rivalry

Cite this Entry

“Rivalry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rivalry. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

rivalry

noun
ri·​val·​ry ˈrī-vəl-rē How to pronounce rivalry (audio)
plural rivalries
: the act of rivaling : the state of being a rival : competition

Medical Definition

rivalry

noun
ri·​val·​ry ˈrī-vəl-rē How to pronounce rivalry (audio)
plural rivalries
1
: a competitive or antagonistic state or condition
2

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