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Added 9 October 2026

rival

/ˈɹaɪvəl/ noun

In Latin: aemulus, aemula, rīvālis Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about rival at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

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.
Someone or something with similar claims of quality or distinction as another.
As a social historian, he has no rival.
One having a common right or privilege with another; a partner.

adjective

Having the same pretensions or claims; standing in competition for superiority.
rival lovers

verb

To oppose or compete with.
to rival somebody in love
To be equal to, or match, or to surpass another.
To strive to equal or excel; to emulate.

Origin

Learned borrowing from Latin rīvālis (literally “person using the same stream as another”). By surface analysis, Latin rīvus + -al.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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