What does "rival" mean?
A competitor (person, team, company, etc.) with the same goal as another, or striving to attain the same thing. Defeating a rival may be a primary or necessary goal of a competitor.
Rival
/ˈɹaɪvəl/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A competitor (person, team, company, etc.) with the same goal as another, or striving to attain the same thing. Defeating a rival may be a primary or necessary goal of a competitor.
- Grammar: rival is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: challenger, competitor, admit of comparison, adversarial.
- Useful contrasts: icelandic félagi, allie, ally.
- Usage evidence: We had been rival lovers at one time.
How to use "rival"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "rival" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "rival" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "rival" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "rival" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "rival" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "challenger" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "rival", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A competitor (person, team, company, etc.) with the same goal as another, or striving to attain the same thing. Defeating a rival may be a primary or necessary goal of a competitor.
"Chris is my biggest rival in the 400-metre race."
- 2 the contestant you hope to defeat wordnet
- 3 Someone or something with similar claims of quality or distinction as another.
"As a social historian, he has no rival."
- 4 One having a common right or privilege with another; a partner. obsolete
"If you do meet Horatio and Marcellus, / The rivals of my watch, bid them make haste."
Verb
- 1 To oppose or compete with. transitive
"to rival somebody in love"
- 2 be the rival of, be in competition with wordnet
- 3 To be equal to, or match, or to surpass another.
"But the Waverley is still the best-placed station of any British city, and gives the arriving stranger a first impression rivalled in Europe only by the exclusively watery station approach at Venice."
- 4 be equal to in quality or ability wordnet
- 5 To strive to equal or excel; to emulate.
"to rival thunder in its rapid course"
Adjective
- 1 Having the same pretensions or claims; standing in competition for superiority. not-comparable
"rival lovers"
Adjective
- 1 as a rival in a competition wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"We had been rival lovers at one time."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "rival"?
Common synonyms include: challenger, competitor, admit of comparison, adversarial, adversaries, adversary.
How do you use "rival" in a sentence?
We had been rival lovers at one time.
How do you pronounce "rival"?
Pronounced /ˈɹaɪvəl/.
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin rīvālis (literally “person using the same stream as another”).