What does competing mean?
Competing is the present participle and gerund of the verb 'compete', meaning to take part in a contest or rivalry with others in pursuit of a shared prize or goal. It appears constantly in contexts of sport, business, politics, and everyday life: athletes competing for medals, companies competing for customers, or job seekers competing for a single position. It also functions as an adjective describing things that are in mutual conflict or vying for precedence — competing claims, competing demands on one's time, or competing explanations of an event. The word carries a neutral tone and pairs naturally with prepositions such as 'for', 'against', and 'with'. Derived from the Latin competere, meaning to strive together or seek in common, it usefully captures the idea that rivals are, paradoxically, united by their pursuit of the same end.
Present participle and gerund of compete: engaging in a contest or rivalry with others to win or gain something.
"She spent years competing at national level before turning professional."
Usually followed by 'in', 'for', or 'against' to specify the arena, prize, or rival.
In conflict or rivalry with another; mutually incompatible or vying for precedence.
"The judge had to reconcile two competing accounts of what happened."
Almost always used attributively, directly before the noun it modifies.
The word 'compete' comes from the Latin competere — literally 'to seek together' — so ironically, competing originally meant striving for the same goal side by side.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of competing
Competing derives from the Latin verb competere, formed from com- ('together') and petere ('to seek, strive after'), originally meaning to strive in common or aim at the same thing. It passed into English via the Latin-derived verb compete, which took on its modern sense of contending with others for a prize or objective. Cognate forms sharing the root include competition, competitive, competitor, competence, and petition.
Related word forms
How competing is actually used
As a verb form, 'competing' typically takes 'in', 'for', or 'against' (competing in a race, competing for attention, competing against a rival). As an adjective it is almost always attributive, appearing before a noun ('competing interests') rather than predicatively. The register is neutral, common in both everyday speech and formal writing.
Easily confused with competing
'Completing' means finishing or bringing something to an end, whereas 'competing' means contending against others in a rivalry or contest.