What does rivaled mean?
Rivaled is the past tense and past participle of rival, meaning to compete with or attempt to match or surpass another person or organization. It is especially common in business, professional, and competitive contexts: a startup may rival an established company, while two athletes may rival one another in skill. The word suggests serious competition and often implies that the subject is comparable in achievement or power. It can be used transitively, as in 'rivaled its competitors,' or intransitively, as in 'rivaled for the position.' The American spelling is 'rivaled'; the traditional British spelling is 'rivalled.' Because the form is an inflection, it normally appears in narrative or analytical writing rather than as an independent dictionary headword.
verbTo compete with or attempt to equal or surpass someone, especially in a professional, commercial, or competitive context.
- To compete with someone or something, especially in a business, professional, athletic, or social context.
"The young company quickly rivaled its established competitors."
"Her sales figures rivaled those of the entire regional division."
"The two finalists rivaled each other in precision and speed throughout the match."
To be rivaled is not merely to share second place: to rival someone is to be considered a serious match for them.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does rivaled come from?
The form 'rivaled' is derived from the verb rival by adding the past-tense and past-participle ending -ed. The verb entered English in the late sixteenth century from French rival, which reflects the Latin adjective rivalis, meaning 'one on the same side or level as another.' In English, the word developed from the idea of equality or competition into its modern sense of competing with someone or something.
Related word forms
How rivaled is actually used
The spelling 'rivaled' is standard in American English; British English commonly uses 'rivalled'. The verb can imply matching or surpassing someone in achievement, status, or ability, as well as competing with them directly.