What does competed mean?
Competed is the past tense and past participle of the verb compete, meaning to take part in a contest or rivalry in which two or more parties strive toward the same goal. Its most familiar use is in sport — athletes competed in a race or a championship — but it extends naturally to any arena where people or organizations vie for success: businesses competed for market share, students competed for scholarships, and candidates competed for votes. The verb is neutral in tone, carrying neither praise nor blame, and is standard in both formal and conversational English. Grammatically it typically pairs with a preposition: one competes in an event, for a prize, or against an opponent. Derived forms such as competitor, competitive, and competition make it part of a rich word family. A useful caution lies in its near-homograph completed, which differs by a single vowel but means finished rather than having entered a contest. The word traces back through Latin petere, meaning to strive or seek, giving it deep roots in the language of effort and ambition.
verbPast tense and past participle of compete: to take part in a contest or rivalry, striving against others to win or achieve a goal.
- To take part in a contest, game, or sporting event against others.
- To strive or vie against others to gain something, such as business, attention, or resources.
"Athletes from over forty nations competed in the marathon."
"She competed in her first national swimming championship at just fourteen."
"Small independent bookshops have long competed with online retailers for customers."
Swap the first 'e' for an 'o' and 'competed' becomes 'completed' — a one-letter slip that turns a race into a finish line.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of competed
Competed comes from compete, borrowed in the early seventeenth century from Latin competere, formed from com- ('together') and petere ('to strive, seek, aim at'). In Latin, competere originally meant to come together, agree, or be fitting, and its English sense of contending arose from the idea of rivals seeking the same thing. The same Latin root petere gives English words such as competitor, petition, and appetite.
Related word forms
How competed is actually used
'Competed' is standard in both formal and everyday registers. In sports contexts it usually takes the preposition 'in' (competed in a tournament); when the emphasis is on vying for something rather than participating, it takes 'for' (competed for the title) or 'against'/'with' (competed against a rival). It is almost always followed by a preposition plus object rather than standing alone.
Easily confused with competed
'Completed' means finished or brought to an end, while 'competed' means took part in a contest; the two differ by only one vowel in spelling but are unrelated in meaning.