What does competitively mean?
"Competitively" is an adverb describing action carried out in a competitive way — whether that means engaging eagerly in contests, striving hard to outperform rivals, or offering goods and services on favourable terms relative to the wider market. It has two dominant senses. The first relates to behaviour: an athlete who swims competitively takes part in organised races, and a person who plays competitively does so with serious intent to win. The second is chiefly commercial: goods described as competitively priced are affordable when judged against comparable alternatives. Derived from the verb "compete", which traces back through Latin *competere*, meaning to strive or seek together, the word sits within a large family including "competition", "competitive", and "competitor". Its tone is largely neutral, though applied to people it can hint at an intense, win-at-all-costs streak. It is especially valuable in business writing, sports commentary, and discussions of markets and performance.
In a way that involves or is characterised by competition or a strong desire to win.
"He has raced competitively since he was fourteen."
Often used with verbs of sport, business, or contest: compete, race, price.
At a price or standard that compares favourably with others in the market.
"The airline keeps its fares competitively low during off-peak seasons."
Most often paired with 'priced' in commercial contexts.
From Latin 'com-' (together) and 'petere' (to strive, seek) — the word literally means striving together, though it usually means anything but cooperation!
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of competitively
"Competitively" derives from the adjective "competitive", formed on the Latin verb *competere*, composed of *com-* ('together') and *petere* ('to strive, seek, aim at'). The English verb "compete" entered the language in the early seventeenth century, originally in the sense of coming together or being in agreement, before acquiring its modern sense of contending for supremacy. Cognate forms appear across Romance languages, such as French *compétitif* and Spanish *competitivo*.
Related word forms
How competitively is actually used
Neutral register, common in both everyday and business contexts. In commercial language it frequently modifies 'priced', where it signals good value rather than aggressive behaviour. When describing people, it can carry a slight negative connotation of excessive competitiveness.
Easily confused with competitively
While 'competitively' relates to rivalry or market pricing, 'comparatively' means in relation to something else by way of comparison.