rivalrous

ri·val·rous
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UK/ˈɹaɪv(ə)lɹəs/US/ˈɹaɪvəlɹəs/US/ɹaɪvl̩ɹəs/

adjective

Having a relationship of rivalry.

RareScrabble 12

Meanings

adjectiverivalrous (comparative more rivalrous, superlative most rivalrous)

comparative more rivalrous · superlative most rivalrous

  1. Having a relationship of rivalry.

    Western universalism was real, if rivalrous.

    2015 September 12, Steven Erlanger, “Are Western values losing their sway? [print version: Did liberalism win? It's not clear, International New York Times, 14 September 2015, p. 7]”, in The New York Times
    1 more example

    In “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead,” Mr. Lumet’s 45th film, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke play rivalrous brothers whose bungled robbery of their parents’ modest jewelry store in Westchester County begins a cycle of quasi-Greek family tragedy without a catharsis.

    2007 October 12, Stephen Holden, “At New York Film Festival: Upheaval in Iran, fiasco in Westchester”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 05 Jun 2015
  2. economicsWhich can be consumed by no more than one person at the same time.

    Rivalrous goods are those which can be consumed by only one person at the same time – for example, a candy bar or a suit; […]

    20th–21st century, Thomas A. McGahagan, “Public Goods”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name), Department of Economics, University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, archived from the original on 05 May 2015

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveeager to surpass others

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Englishrival
  2. Englishrivalry
  3. Proto-Indo-European*h₃ed-
  4. Proto-Indo-European*h₃édosder.?
  5. Englishrivalrous

From rivalry + -ous.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish kilpailullinen, kilpailullinen
  • kilpailullinenhaving a relationship of rivalry
  • kilpailullinenwhich can be consumed by one person
  • niukkawhich can be consumed by one person
  • kuluvawhich can be consumed by one person
German rivalisierend, rival
  • rivalisierendhaving a relationship of rivalry
  • rivalwhich can be consumed by one person
Swedish rivaliserande
  • rivaliserandehaving a relationship of rivalry
Cite this entry
APA

rivalrous. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rivalrous

MLA

“rivalrous.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rivalrous. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “rivalrous,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rivalrous.

Source: rivalrous on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.