rival

rival — noun

1. a person, company, sports team, or organisation that tries to beat others or do

1.nounB1
Definition

a person, company, sports team, or organisation that tries to beat others or do better than them in a competition, business deal, or sporting event

Example

Feng's company is the biggest rival of ours in the Asian market.

rival of [someone] — showing the competitor relationship

The two rival gangs had been fighting for control of the neighbourhood for years.

rival as a modifier before a noun: rival gang / rival company

Common collocations
  • bitter rival
  • fierce rival
  • old rival
  • friendly rival
  • main rival
  • biggest rival
  • political rival
  • business rival
  • sporting rival
  • rival company
  • rival team
  • rival gang
  • rival for the championship
  • rival in the election
Synonyms
  • competitor

    more neutral; common in business contexts without emotional overtones

  • opponent

    used for the person you face in a single game, debate, or election

  • contender

    suggests someone trying to win a title or prize, often in sports

Antonyms
  • ally

    someone who supports and works with you rather than against you

  • partner

    a person or organisation you cooperate with, not compete against

Grammar Patterns

rival + noun (as modifier)

rival of/for [someone/something]

Usage Note

Often used before another noun (rival company, rival team, rival gang). Can be modified with adjectives such as bitter, fierce, old, or friendly to indicate the nature of the competition.

Common Mistakes

❗ 'He is my rival in chess.' ✅ 'He is my rival at chess.' — use 'at' for games and sports, not 'in'.

rival — verb

rival — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Rival and competitor can often be used interchangeably, but competitor is more neutral and common in business contexts ('market competitors'), whereas rival often carries a more personal or emotional edge ('bitter rival'). Opponent is the standard term for someone you face in a single game, debate, or election, without implying an ongoing relationship beyond that event. Adversary is more formal and suggests active hostility, frequently appearing in legal or military settings ('the two adversaries in the lawsuit'). Contender is specific to situations where people are trying to win a title or prize ('a contender for the heavyweight championship'). In everyday use, you might call the other football team your rivals if there is a long history between the clubs, but you would call them opponents when discussing a specific match.

competitor ↗opponent ↗adversarycontender ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • rival company
  • rival team
  • rival gang
  • rival group
  • rival party
  • rival firm
  • rival bid
  • rival claim

Adverbs

  • directly rival
  • closely rival
  • easily rival
  • barely rival

Phrases

  • fierce rival
  • bitter rival
  • old rival
  • friendly rival
  • main rival
  • biggest rival
  • political rival
  • business rival

Prepositions

  • rival for
  • rival in
  • rival of

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'rival' comes from Latin 'rivalis', meaning 'a person who uses the same stream as another'. This Latin word is based on 'rivus', which means 'stream' or 'brook'. In ancient times, people who shared a water source were natural competitors for access to that water. Over many centuries, the meaning broadened from 'someone who shares a stream' to 'anyone competing for the same thing'. The word entered English through French in the 16th century.